The Whites of Honest Eyes
by FranKey AdeL
Summary: He who seek for the secrets of unlimited vitality and greater power. She who desired approval from her family and her fellow peers. However, her wish had conjured an unnatural phenomenon, a contradiction, a frightful being very capable of terrible evil. Nonetheless, when two great powers conflicted, Armageddon would ensue; deaths and destruction mere telltale signs of their wake.
1. First Shed

**First Shed: Slither of the White Sage**

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**I own nothing. **

**Zero no Tsukaima is owned by Noboru Yamaguchi.**

**Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

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After all the countless dedicated hours of acquiring and mastering various degree of forbidden techniques, tinkering my body with bloodline limits and self-absorbed experiments; I finally began to understand my master's obsession towards amassing power and knowledge. Chasing an ideal he yearned for; even if he isn't the ideal vessel or possesses the body required to tolerate them in his lifetime, he would search it until the end of time to possess a particular trait which many would kill for; Immortality. A vessel of nearly impeccable rigidity and highly efficient self-sustaining cell regeneration that would not succumb to death even as the passage of time went on.

That was all good sounding; in theory. But the one thing my master failed to foretell was how lonely one could get, being an almighty and undying being would be. Calling it 'Almighty' would be exaggerating as even immortals aren't truly immortal. Even gods are fated to one day disappear when it lacks the proper beliefs and sacrifices brought upon being worshipped. In the end, they're just absurdly powerful beings with impossibly great yet still finite power that just happened to be recognized and worshipped; the latter being the chief reason for them to acquire immortality.

Of course all these ramblings are merely a thinly veiled attempt to distract myself from the fact that I'd just been absorbed by some kind of strange ovaloid portal. It seems that the heavens wasn't through with harassing me just yet as I was yanked off the path I just stood over and now find myself literally hurtled unfathomable distances through some kind of gravitational well.

The longer I was spending in the black inky void, the more I realized that this was some kind of summoning procedure; as all the symptoms exists. I quickly pull over my hood to veil my face, not knowing what the other side might hold.

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***Scene Break***

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The trip was, uneventful for the most part except for that part which the technique seemingly decides to land me in the most uncomfortable and painful way.

Dipped head first.

I was caught in a coughing fit when the dust kicks in, filling in my nostrils and into my alveoli; suffocation was the least priority on my agenda as I laboriously rose to my feet. Steadily, I shifted my stance; favouring a more defensive manner as well as keeping my own killing intent in check. As the cloud subsided, a view of grassland parched by the intense heat of noon was caught at first sight as I breathed in as much needed fresh air to my now nearly diminished oxygen supply while still retaining my defensive posture. With my right arm over my hooded concealed face and the other arm just below chest level; shielding my abdomen with three loosely griped kunais amid the knuckles of both arms.**  
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Dropping into a high-crouched position to provide sufficient footing and lower my center of gravity; additionally making myself smaller to reduce the chances of strayed strikes, it mainly serves to provide full range to pull off ninjutsu in an instant and in quick succession if needed or readily parry any incoming attacks or projectile; effectively covering all critical points and giving very few openings only a Jonnin rank shinobi or higher could take advantage of.

That was well and all...until when the dust cloud gave enough leeway for a full view of that situation. I blinked in utter bewilderment. Miniskirt. That's the first thing I would've thought of to describe the girl standing in front of me; standing at a full height that barely even reaches my shoulder and a thin frame that a gust of wind could be imagined blowing her off her socks. Sporting a vibrant mane of strawberry blonde that screams of pain and violent in memory of a certain pink-haired kunoichi with her banshee-like wails and screeches. She wore a simple white button-up blouse covered by a black cloak fastened to which look like a brass or golden pentagram pendant. From the waist down, she sported an odd combo of dark shade of grey that almost seems black miniskirt, above knee length high stockings that was just as black and top with an even darker shade of black shoes.

When our eyes met, I definitely could see the buildup-ed anxiety on her look alone. Her light shade of amber brown eyes fixed to my own as if they're locked together; mimicking an almost perfect mirroring of eye-to-eye coordination. I dismissed her entirely after a moment in favour of gauging the situation first. The apparent presence of multiple heat signature close-by means that I currently being encircle by from what I could deduced as flock of teens in similar fashion albeit differ with the male population wearing black trousers instead of miniskirts. I could hear whispering murmurs coming from the encircling groups of young teens as they spread each other's ideology of the origin and mystery of my enigmatic presence.

Then as the murmurs died out, some of them began shouting out loud tones of...insult? To further confirm my newly made hypothesis, the young pinkette, my summoner seems heavily distressed over the incoming teasing tone and hurtful comments yet seem apathetic to retort. Sensing no potential dangers from them, I silently kept away my kunais and straighten myself to properly greet my summoner.

With a slight bow I began "Are you the one who summoned me girl?" I inquire formally.

The tiny pinkette didn't bother to hide any feelings of resentment as she stomped towards me and yelling something for which I failed to understand. From the first few syllable, I noted that it sounds familiarly westerned, sporting a very foreign accent and a totally alien rhyme of pronunciation and sound. I cocked my head to the side, neither attempted nor thought to demean the opposing speaker but it seems as if it was.

Grumbling, the pinkette began speaking again only to find it in vain as I just stood there, unswayed by her somewhat crude speech; spoken in a rather disdainful tone.

"I'm not sure I'm able to oblige anything you say at this moment girl" I sighed and continued "but if I may ask, what was it that made you turned to summoning me."

The once scornful pinkette just seems pensive and well…annoyed by the unwelcoming feeling of failure and the incoming verbal abuse from her peers. It doesn't take a genius to figure out she was some kind of black sheep in the flock.

I let out an long sigh, obviously frustration with the turn of events. Shifting my gaze towards the bald man clad in blue robes just a few paces behind the her, I noticed his wary expression for the tiny pinkette's dilemma.

"My, my, what a situation I've gotten myself into. And here I thought I could act proper knowing that the summoner or the one being summoned would likely form a pact with the other," I murmured; albeit the latter never even happened, yet.

Finally I took the first major step since this ridiculous play of 'Battle of the Dialogues" began. I unzipped the shutter and reveal my scaled face for the first time unto what I thought was maybe a strange new world. While I'm far from being an immortal, my natural ability to absorb natural chakra, the regenerative properties of the Uzumaki's bloodline chakra and the unique trait of my master's gene made my body's endurance and vitality nothing to scoff at either though my lifespan may surpassed many decades if I could survive every peril I encounter. That vitality however, came with a price.

I could hear the shocked gasp leaving the student's throat as the enigma reveals what hides beneath this maroon colored robe. This major shift had done great deal of shocked towards the unsuspecting audiences as they bespectacled my near fully formed snake transformation. Gasp grew even more pronounced when a large white serpent slithered from beneath my robe and arching just over my shoulder, periodically tasting with its overly sensitive forked tongue of the surrounding air filled with a mix of awe, horror and excrement. The latter sourced itself from a bunched of summoned animals and embarrassingly from some of the summoners themselves who were in similar fashion.

This greatly caused discomfort within the ranks of the teens as they scattered from the offending smell and sight. The bald man as I've noticed approached me with calming caution and seems to be saying something in a gentle manner. I just nod solemnly, giving him permission to do what he needed done.

The man closed his eyes and began twirling the staff in his hand, chanting something in between whispers as he concentrate a small amount of natural energy...wait what?! But it seems that my observation was accurate and mentally noted the strange technique for a later date to analyze.

I'd continue to watch the strange spectacle in amazement as this mortal, without difficulty wielding the natural energy around his staff like he was condensing water vapour in the air and bend it to his will and somehow molded it into something, different. As he does this, I could see that this man might be attempting to produce a technique that might benefit the situation as I saw the looks in his eyes that although bore resemblance towards my own cold eyes of a killer, it also seems sympathetic with a mixture of resignation, determination and, grief?

In a brief second, he redirected the collected molded energy towards me as he loudly calls out the name of the technique. I suspected it might have been a translation type technique as my mind began filling to the brim with foreign grammar, unfamiliar vocabulary and peculiar pronunciations.

As the technique come undone, the man re-opens his eyes and gave me a gentle smile and nodded at which I took the cue to try out my newly bestowed literary and give it a test drive. I gratefully returned his smile with a tad amount of sardonic feel to it and gracefully bow my head as low as Japanese tradition would normally allow in such situation.

"I thank you for your much appreciated efforts for your timely intervention" I seem to emphasize the word intervention with a threatening glare towards the young pinkette who had openly directed her wooden yet miniature stick, which I suspect to be able to mimic similar effect as the man behind her had demonstrated earlier and open fire. No matter how durable my body is, I'm still able to receive damage and eventually die from severe hypovolemic and neurogenic shock. As I raised my head to level my gaze, the bald man seems relieved over my polite and grateful act.

"A pleasure to meet you Mr...err" the man abruptly paused, waiting for a reaction.

"Kabuto. Yakushi Kabuto, though I can't exactly say I'm thrilled at the moment" I told him bluntly.

"Ahh, I'm sad to hear that Mr Kabuto. Oh, pardon my impoliteness; one must introduce himself before asking another. I am one called Jean Colbert, a professor of this fine establishment that stands before us" he greeted as he points towards this so-called 'fine establishment' just further down the path.

I critically take in every inch and width of the magnificently monstrous yet finely masoned structure that dwarfs some minor villages from my own country. My train of thought was abruptly interrupted when the pinkette approached me, trying hard to grab unto the side of my robe which I already anticipated, as I struggle to suppress a giggle when the serpent relay me descriptions of the girl's adorable yet still horrified look of my summoner; struggling that feat just to catch my attention, cautiously avoiding the white serpent all the while.

"No need for that little girl, I am already aware of your intention" I turned to face the tiny pinkette "Pardon my earlier actions as I did not have the means to properly introduce myself" I said coolly, still taking mental pictures towards my cute yet tiny summoner "I am Yakushi Kabuto, however you may call me Kabuto. May I ask for your name, Milady?" I said giving out a gentle smile while bowing slightly and extending my arm towards her requesting permission to kiss her hands. The royalty had always a way with these stuff and from my own travelling and spying days, I've grown quite accustomed with regal tradition.

Whatever the case, the treatment seems to surprise the pinkette a great deal and cool down from her earlier outrage in a matter of seconds. Looks like I got a summoner who likes the princes' treatment, heck she might even be of royal blood by her regal pose and very subtle yet graceful movement.

"I-I'll let it go f-for now familiar and a-approved of your subservience to me." she replied in a condescending tone while giving her arm to allow such contact "My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de La Valliere of the Valliere Noble House, not Little Girl and I expect complete obedience from you when serving under my charge." she finished with a haughty smirk.

At that last sentence, I let loose a healthy dosage of killing intent, my glare boring into her widen amber bright eyes. I paused for a second before decided to finish what I started and kiss her knuckles.

"My, my, what a proud summoner indeed" I exclaimed calmly before ceasing off any loose killing intent and bearing my indignant pose "But who ever said that I would willingly surrender my liberty and become subservience to you?" I said with a dryly without a hint of subjugation by her proclamations.

She raise her brows at the sudden revelation and frowned deeply "What do you mean surrender? You were summoned by me; your rightful Master" she accused; seemingly unable to believe that she was arguing about this in the first place "It is only proper decorum that I as the Master held all rights for my familiar; bearing all its responsibilities without pause in exchange for nutrient and shelter, the familiar shall become the extend of the master's sight and hearing and possibly retrieve reagents from nature and if the situation deems necessary, sacrifice itself for the safety of the master" she stomped her foot to emphasize her authority.

"Pardon my interruption, but" the bald professor apologized and interjected the conversation while pointing at the pinkette which unnerved her a little bit "She, Louise Valliere had summoned you in order to fulfill her obligatory curriculum. Even though you are a commoner, the records of the Brimir's Holy Summoning Ritual has no such strict rules imply against the type of creature being summoned, and in her extreme case...a human being." he ended with a melancholic tone.

"Hoh, so summoned humans, 'familiar' as you assumed, are rare if not non-existent at all in these part of the world?" I emphasized at the end of the sentence hoping for him to take the hint that I might not from this world as I feel the ambiance energy to be significantly denser and more 'toxic' than the shinobi world I belonged to.

"That is correct Mr Kabuto" he corrected his glasses as he answered me.

"And what would be done, if I refuse the pact?" I corrected my glasses, giving them the common impression of the whole intelligent-type person, hinting them that I was merely trying them out.

_"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'IF YOU REFUSED'?!"_ the pinkette exclaimed loudly as she rushes from where she was standing earlier to confront me of my 'unexpected' question.

"Just like how it sounds like Little Girl, or is it that your _'fine establishment'_ doesn't even bother teaching language comprehension nowadays" I joked at her sarcastically.

_"**W-WHAT?! H-HOW DARE YOU!**" _she screamed in outrage._ "**A COMMONER DARE TO MOCKED THE HONOUR OF THE MOST PRESTIGIOUS MAGIC ACADEMY IN ALL OF HALKEGINIA?! I'LL HAVE YOU HANG FROM WHERE YOU STAND COMMONER! UNLESS IF YOU WOULD ABIDE TO MY WILL AND ACCEPT THE FAMILIAR CONTRACT!**_" she threatens me with life sentence over the fact that I would refuse her pact and tries to fish me into an offer of protection if I serve under her as this 'familiar'. The kid got guts. Kinds of remind me of another certain gutsy blonde kid; albeit in a more 'shounen' personality. I merely chuckled at the thought.

I could make out movement from the corner of my eyes and even registered the pinkette subtle nod of acknowledgement. This is not going to end nicely huh. I could even hear the silent murmurs of the teens surrounding us and eyeing me with slight disgust and finally smirking widely as I feel the natural energy around began to stir and trans morph into a different compound energy; producing a miniature gravity well just inches around me. Manipulation of gravitational force or rather anti-gravitational force, I assumed.

As I was lift upwards from the ground, I can sense that the technique was elementary at best as it barely does anything else apart from condensing anti-gravitational energy around the target and levitate them, limited with only a few meters of allocation manipulation.

"Louise, I shall hold him for the moment. Use that time to complete the contract with your familiar" the bald professor calmly said.

"Thank you Professor Colbert" she beamed at her mentor for aiding her in restraining the odd commoner lest she wanted to fail doing it herself. "My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de La Valliere. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar." she intoned in a formal voice, her eyes like steel.

I waited patiently though it not like I'll be going anywhere soon being levitate a full inch above ground, and finally she appeared to finish the some kind of weird prayer. With a grimace, she closed her eyes and leaned in. As she was trying to, I telepathized my will to the white serpent and coiled it's body as if mimicking a fully loaded spring and in an instant the serpent's mighty jaw dislocated from its mandibular joints and stretch it's widen jaw pronged with twin hypodermic-like fangs each an inch and a half long.

**_"Wh...?!"_** the pinkette would had been struck by the approaching reptile at breakneck speeds if not intervened by the bald professor. Almost everyone around had a bewildered expression unable to process the thought of nearly being devoured alive by a giant snake, some had even begun to scream just as they noticed the serpent's similar action to when hunting on rodent size prey or other bite size snacks which slightly impresses me.

But what piqued me even more was the cold yet firm gaze which the professor was giving me while struggling to hold the advancing serpent with a wall of fire-based energy, particles moving in random direction so fast they generate incredible heat and holding off my attack with sheer raw firepower. Just as the serpent seems to indicate it was retreating back to me, the professor cautiously cancels his fire shield technique yet never letting his sights off me as he pose in a defensive stance, staff pointed to me and his eyes boring at me, ready to counter anything I may throw at his student.

"Are you hurt Mrs. Valliere?" he asked with a serious tone "Did you come into contact with its fangs or felt being sprayed by a liquid like substance?" The girl just shook her head nervously to the bald professor's relief.

"I must say that you've piqued my curiosity over your skillful manipulation over natural chakra" I began with a sly voice, grinning enthusiastically, "To bend the energy of nature, even to the degree of molecules manipulation to generate heat and counter my attack like that all within a split of a second; very interesting sets of skills indeed" I ended with a lick on my lips from side to side. To think that they were Sages even as far as...well...here.

The bald professor seems pensive over the revelation which summarized his flame shield technique with terms he is not familiar with, I suppose. Maybe this land has different terms for them, perhaps, a different type of system.

Holding steadfast on his weapon of choice, he began, "I do not tolerate well towards people who would try to hurt my precious student and love ones" sounding rather reverent counting the event that I nearly devoured his student. "See to that I'll never catch you attempting to harm them again or else" he finished in a vindictive tone, gritting his teeth and tighten his grip on his staff.

A few moments later, I could sense a good amount of natural energy permeate the air which I noted did not came solely from the bald professor, but even further on within the direction of the 'Magic Academy'. After heightening my own sense of natural chakra given my still position, I began scanning far and wide for the source of the sudden spiking emergence of energy.

A mixture of all four elemental distinct features such as the heat of fire element, slight tremor of earth element, the sharp-edged breeze of wind element and the soothing humidity of water element could be felt as I feel my form slowly taking the form of the snake sage mode but promptly ceasing it completely to keep it from public knowledge.

In a matter of seconds, the still shocked student when out of their stupor and start to back away from my striking range and remain incognito throughout most of the conflict. As they back away, teachers and professors of various expression and looks discerning the conflict before them seems to acknowledge the slight tense of the situation.

There was a single old man whom seems to be head of the newly arrived convoy; bearing long grey hair; his facial features concealed through his long beard; portraying an old yet wise appearance. As he walked up to the bald professor and began questioning the situation. The bearded man periodically chuckled, frowned then starts to chuckle again before wearing a very forlorn expression that seems appropriate for a man of his age. He nudged the bald professor which made him lower his staff and his prior defensive stance which he nodded in satisfaction and turned to me. They must have felt my presence earlier and also the moment when the bald professor used his fire technique that they felt something has gone amiss.

"Ahem" the bearded man dried off his throat "According to Professor Jean Colbert, you had been summoned by one of the young nobles here" he pause for a moment; looking at the tiny girl before returning his gaze to me and continued "Yet from the insight I got, you not only refused the pact but even go as far to attempt assault towards your summoner?" he finished in a pensive tone while stroking his beard down to its end. His eyes never wavered and holds decades of life's knowledge and experiences.

"I apologize for my own misconduct in the situation but it was I who was regrettably the initial target to be rob of my liberty and being intended to forcibly sign a contract and becoming completely subservience over to that little girl" my voice contains no malice nor warmth, merely a sarcastic tone. "A pact of one-sided obedience isn't an option." I told them formally with a slightly serious tone while cupping the serpent's jaw with my palm and scratching it like a giant legless feline as it hissed happily.

I didn't even bother to look at the confused looks of the on-lookers and stared into the far off distant horizon with a bored expression and putting back on my hood to conceal my fair scaly complexion and messy ashen-gray hair. Seeing as there were no respond to my words, I form the hand-seal of the tiger and ready my chakra for a wide range genjutsu technique. As I pump in more chakra, I cautiously hid my hand-seals to avoid suspicion.

"Mr Kabuto, please hold a moment!" I heard the old man said in a desperate tone "I wished for your kind-nature to accept my sincere apology on behalf of the entire academy" he said with a melancholic look in his eyes. He took out what seems to be a tobacco pipe and light it immediately before eyeing me once more. I just stood there lazily "But if possible, I would like you to give Lady Valliere here" he points to the tiny pinkette "a chance to prove herself; a compromised truce if you may" he ended with a sincere gentle smile that you could usually find in a loving grandfather.

I contemplated on my current situation. Thanks to the sudden, unexpected teleportation, I had only a handful of sealed weapons and items for survival, a few ryos that might not even be acceptable here and clothes limited to the ones on my back; surviving might be too much of a hassle. Moreover, with the lack of proper shelter, rations and knowledge of this land especially after seeing the professor's earlier natural manipulation, precaution would be vital.

I sighed slightly, correcting my glasses as I do so. Being the girl's _'familiar' _might be interesting, plus it seems that I'm stuck here until I could gather more intel of this land and get an understanding of that strange sage technique. I guess it wouldn't hurt to stay for a while.

With that, I walked in a steady pace towards the tiny pinkette, she appears as if she's looking towards a mighty serpent and remembers at her near-devoured situation. She quickly shook her head and stares at her mentors and superiors. The bald professor has nearly rushed toward his student if he wasn't nudged by the old-bearded man, mentally giving his the 'look' to stop for a bloody second and watch.

He nodded reluctantly and quietly watched from the sidelines. She was still seated leg apart in both direction and conjoining at the knees with her arms resting behind her, acting as her support as she stares upwards to meet my opposing figure. When she noticed this, I could hear her gulped and nervously stare back at me which I gave her a satirical look. My bright yellow tinted slit irises bore into her very soul, looking down on her existence as it crumbles from her own weakness.

"I asked of you, what drives you girl?" I sounded quite ambivalent at that, maybe it was because of my last master who went on without reaching his ultimate goal or maybe because it was I who was the one being left behind, I couldn't say for sure but "What are your goals? Do you have the will to do what is necessary when the time comes?"

I extended my right hand in an effort to help the tiny pinkette off the grassy plain. This is all question I asked myself many, many times before, yet somehow when I had told her word for word, I felt that I was the one I'm actually directing all the question at, giving a sense of nostalgia from my early teen days before Lord Orochimaru. It was a rhetorical question; more of a reminder for me than anything else.

She just sat there with a raised brow and her mouth nearly mimicking that of a goldfish out of water. I could really laugh out loud at her hilarious reaction but now is really not the time so I just smiled expectantly. She realized what she had been doing and promptly turned her head in embarrassment. She turned back with a mild blush on her cheeks and opened her mouth before stopping herself at chastising me for that ruefully embarrassing moment. She was pensive; deep in thought about what I had told her and her body language says it all. Finally she opens up and accepts my hand and I raised her from the ground, sweeping off the grass and earth that got smeared on her stockings and skirt before dusting off any remaining dirt of her palm.

"T-Thank you" she murmured, all the blood rushing to her brain and coloring her face beet red that nearly rivals her hair.

Her timid voice was nearly inaudible that it was a contradiction to her firm steel glares. Even her body language betrayed her, trembling ever so slightly that only the most perceptive of close friends and family members could ever noticed it. While I wore a bored, toneless expression, my serpentine eyes and crotaline pit was scanning every detail of her physique, picking up various degrees of distress physiological signs from her accelerated respiration rate to the slight beating sound of her pacing heartbeat, because her stoic facade could only mask so much before she realized how vulnerable she felt being in my gaze; almost naked.

That abrupt thought must have been the reason at her sudden attempt to cover herself up as if she was peeked in the bathroom. I twitched in amusement over the failed yet hilarious bravado attempt as I struggled to suppress a giggle that nearly overthrows me from my own stoic facade before ending up laughing out loud. This might get interesting.

"**_W-What are you l-laughing for?!_**" She demanded uproariously as her cheeks nearly exploded from the sudden burst of life fluids rushing to her facial blood vessel, prompting herself to shield her face from embarrassment, allowing only her eyes to peek out of her enclosed face. What surprised me wasn't her timid yet adorable pose, but those steel cold eyes of hers. What could have happened in the past that might have provoked such dire expression at a tender age? Before I could change my mind, I decided to make a bet of a lifetime. I took in a breath of air before calming myself down, pinning the words in my tongue before it slipped away.

"I accept your summoning pact, Lady Louise Francoise de La Valliere, from now onward I, Yakushi Kabuto of the Snake Sage shall become your 'familiar', your dutiful right-hand man, your extended sword and loyal guard, and close comrade, but" she tensed at that moment as I lip licked from side to side gleefully "Under one condition."

The whole courtyard was filled with shocked gasp and also the look of relief filled the looks of the teachers and especially of the professor and bearded old man; followed by silent murmurs and whispers. The pinkette was reluctant to respond at first at the antic I just showed her, but after curiously looking into my eyes and saw that I was sincere, she nervously tried to hold herself in a more dignified fashion by straightening her back, brushed off her slightly dusty hair and turned her head down slightly to avert my gaze.

"Named them." she replied instantly without a hint of hesitation to consider it first. She's quite confident in her ability to be able to accept it so easily.

"I am to be treated as a human being, not an animal." I answered incisively. I could make out a few voices that were loud enough to make out off.

"Snake Sage?" someone murmured.

"I've never came across that title" someone else answered back.

"Maybe he's a demi-human" another student added.

"So could he be a snake creature in disguise?" yet another student gave a vague yet nearly accurate guess.

"That's just a myth" someone protested "He's just a snake tamer; but a commoner still" he hissed.

But I don't really care what these people's thought…but being accused of being a snake in disguise kind of sting. Yet this is my chance for that purpose once more. After all those years of wondering and skirmishes, I had enough of pointless argue that conflict is a part of life and that life will always repeats itself. Every villages that I visited, every town that I went, every society that I witness, they did not accept me as I were but merely the man-made skin that covers my identity and because of the constant conflict; people like me is needed, trained and sent out into the field. But after that I was found by Lord Orochimaru, I was given a purpose besides being used like a disposable pawn by a village that has left me shamed and dishonored.

"I-I thank you for your g-gracious acceptant to become m-my familiar" she seems a lot more pensive now more than ever and with her still looking down on the ground, I wondered what was running in her mind now as I noticed drops of tears from her blushed cheeks, the ritual must had been something very important in their culture to actually induced such a reaction on her part so my acceptance must had seen as a godsend for her. She grabbed her black cloak and dried off any remaining tears as she steeled herself for the next step which I unceremoniously interfered earlier.

"My name is Louise Francoise le Blanc de La Valliere. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Powers; bless this humble being, and make him my familiar" again she said the very same phrase that might seem like the binding process.

I did not take offense at the implication nor does it matter to me, I was originally _'a nobody'_. She then leaned on closer to me and asked me to lower myself so she could begin. I obeyed and took off my hood once again. She shook visibly at my sudden pre-emptive action and stared unto my face, which must had been quite an experience from up close.

I've my fair share of looking myself in the mirror; my features were pale-white; an almost ghostly appearance combined with my scaly complexion. Eyes equipped with a shade of yellow, reptilian-like slit irises that appear serpentine in nature and an elongated ring of bright purple stigmata on both of my eyes while my ashen-grey hair was on the brink of being silver under the sunlight's ray.

She then closed her eyes and leaned even further until our lips met and we began exchanging bodily fluids from each other but aside from that, there has been no tongue wriggling or any other 'invading' attempt. She must be a virgin kisser then, I mused as her soft yet warm lips parts from mine. She nervously scanned my reaction for any signs of any more homicidal attempt; I chuckled ever so slightly but endured to hide my amusement.

"It seems that the contract was successful. Yakushi Kabuto has at last become your familiar, Lady Valliere" I heard the bearded old man spoke in our direction general, "As of now we await for the binding seal to appear then we can get on with our lives" he ended with a bemused expression which gives him the look of a very tired yet satisfied old man.

"W-what th..." I cringed when I felt a surge of chakra, no wait; this is not like normal chakra that composed of both the mental and physical energy but only contains the physical manifestation. However the slight pain coming from the burning sensation on the back of my palm was nothing compare to the pain emitted from my chakra coils as the foreign energy taints my life flow and threatens to overpower it which might lead to damaging my coils severely.

I wailed and wriggled on the ground as the intense pain emerged ever graver and nearly duly my better judgment. I could almost see the fair complexion of my new Mistress worried face as she tries to bring me back. I can even hear the desperate calls coming from the adults as I frantically analyze my situation and attempted to salvage it. This turn of event was unexpected; one which even caught me off guard, all those years of master-minding schemes and disgust experimentation has made me dull from the dangers being out in the field. Before I could manage a sound plan, I did what most people would.

I blackout.

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***Scene Break***

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For a moment, I thought my expected doom had finally arrived; albeit sooner than I would have expected. Soon later, my surrounding was showered or rather basked by a bright spectrum of peach red; though finally recognising the sun's familiar heat as it shone directly above me as I slowly opened my eyes.

I awoke only to find myself in a large garden-like plain. Towards the end, was a lush forest stretching as far as the eye could see, all along the post-dawn horizon. Towards the other was quite the opposite; a monstrous sized building that could have fit Manda's built effortlessly, but I couldn't have cared less until I'd caught movement from the edge of my right sight.

There, I spotted a little girl; sporting the same bright shade of strawberry blonde as my mistress, exiting the too-large garden and entered the said structure. I saw her throttling down the intricately designed corridor and hallways; ignoring surprised shrieks and yelps as she bustled amongst the maid-servants. I voiced out only for it to fell on deaf ears.

"What's going on?" I murmured to myself.

So I did the next best thing; I followed her. What perplexed further was that I went completely ignored by every single living being that passed me. As if I was invisible or didn't even exist; but carried on to catch up with the pinkette. Finally she arrives in what seems to be a grand living room; decorated in such a way that it carried reminiscent of an armoury. With every corner and entrance dressed by banners and hollow-looking suits of armours; complete with spears, pikes and swords.

Is it a mansion? It's too regal in appearance to be so. A castle perhaps? No. Maybe a fort?

I was pensive; my mind analysing every little detail as I took it all in. I continued in deep thought as I step forth into the rather menacingly large chamber with soft steps as to not intrude; an old habit of Japanese etiquette. Yet again, I spotted the tiny pinkette. She seems hesitant at first as she tries to approach a womanly figure.

"M-Mother, I found a kitty in the garden b-but it's hurt" the tiny pink-haired girl holds out the injured white kitten barely fitting on her small palms as she pushed it towards the woman of somewhat middle-aged.

Sporting a similar bright shade of strawberry blonde reminisced of the tiny one; albeit fashioned to flow down her sides and growing fittingly more curled down the bottom half with high tied-knot in a hair-bun fashion that fills the top back of her scalp. Clad in expensive looking light purple garment that appeared to be silk; complete with frills on the collar line and at the end of each sleeve to give that regal appearance. Her eyes were stone cold and her expression was stoic yet regal.

"How many times have I told you Louise, about going out in the estate's garden and bringing home filthy animals into the mansion" her tone was cold and harsh. "MAIDS!" she calls out in a serious voice.

So this is a mansion instead and the plain outside was some kind of huge garden by which she termed it 'estate's garden. Is she a blood relative to the tiny one? Her parent perhaps; a mother, yet those stoic and cold expression and harsh tone weren't how I remembered a caretaker should be if my orphanage were any indication.

A team of maids rushed out of an entry way looking nervously at the Madam of the estate. As them form a line of flesh in order of height, careful as not to irritate the noble; the senior maid bows respectfully.

"What is the matter Madam Karin de La Vallière?" she asked in a respectful tone.

The woman, Karin, points her finger towards the tiny pinkette that hold a fair amount of resemblance of Louise.

"Get that filthy animal off her hands and sent it to the carriage master and tell him to find a suitable caretaker for it" she intoned sounding somewhat militaristic, as if she was used to commanding others but that is obvious as nobles grew up thinking that they could command any simpleton or plebeian to do their bidding.

The tiny pinkette eyes widen at her mother's orders and backed away from the approaching maid, shaking her head in an attempt of defiant.

"N-No...please don't take kitty away, she's hurt, p-please Mother, you would let Big Sister Cattleya keep animals in her room too" she pleaded.

Yet the woman just stood there, giving aversion looks at the kitten as if it was nothing more than a walking trash that had stained her daughter's hands and dress. I was disgusted by that look, if nothing else.

"_MOTHEERRR!_" she shrieked loudly.

The tiny pinkette backed away from the glare her mother was directing at her, as she nearly stumbled from a strayed carpet that protrudes up from its supposed flat position. I noticed the hazard and instantly rushed to her; as predicted, her feet got caught of the protruding carpet and fell towards her back, which never came. I caught her in the nick of time as she fell silently into my arms, as if she was expecting my sudden embraced.

"…thank you…" was all she said sheepishly before she held her beet red eyes with her dirtied palms. Tears and dirt began to smooch her adorable face, staining her features as her wept incessantly. "…thank you…" she thanked me again and again like a mantra until she felt asleep.

What surprises me even more was that the surrounding armour-clad living chamber has diminished to merely some sort of femininely decorated room. Shelves full with dolls and pet toys; a dressing mirror with numerous number of brushes, vials of colourful liquid filling its contain and a portrait that covers nearly the entire part of the wall. The portrait was soiled and unremarkable so I just dismissed it with a mental note.

The tiny pinkette continued to thanked me even in her sleep; albeit occasionally scowling and murmuring 'stupid familiar' in between, causing me to slightly giggle. Yet how could such a small and simple act of embracing her before her impact caused such a reaction.

Even if she had fallen, it wouldn't have been that painful nor did it have any lasting damaged.

But then again, human is overly fragile.

At that moment, my mind drifted away from the tender scene…becoming more conscious and lucid.

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***End of Chapter***

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**A/N: I'm sorry for any obvious mistake in grammar and vocab. English isn't my native language so it's laboriously hard to write decent sentences or fill the gaps with flowery words. Anyways, here's an idea that had recently infested my mind a few weeks ago. Although I have a basic direction for the fic and a draft version of the storyboard, it's still in its malleable phase and may change drastically during the course of the fic before steamed roll into readable chapters. I would appreciate any constructive criticism and also...this is my very first literary project. Needless to say it's my first fanfic too.**

**As I've told you before, since English isn't my native language it goes without saying that _'__I require more time to plot, write, spell-proof, edit and read-proof my chapters than the average fanfic writers' _**


	2. Second Shed

**Second Shed: The Spurious Revelations**

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**I own nothing.**

**Zero no Tsukaima is owned by Noboru Yamaguchi.**

**Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

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As I opened my eyes, a sense of nausea hit me hard as I struggled with the sudden urge to gurgle down my rising gastric juices. I held my head precariously as if it seemed to weight a tonne that took quite an effort as I sobered myself up. Then, I realized that I was no longer out in the open; instead I was somewhere inside of a stone-clad room filled with expensive looking wooden furniture; lined with fine pieces of silverware and intricately carved murals and bevels on ceilings, walls and wooden backdrops.

"Was that a dream?" I murmured to myself as I rouse back into reality. I could see there's a small wooden table that was just as intricate as the surrounding room, topped with a cresset mounted candle flicking with life that seems almost fuelled by the same natural energy that surrounds this land.

'_Who was that tiny girl with pink hair?'_ I thought pensively, putting my thinking pose on with my right thumb and index finger cupping my chin, supporting my entire head with my favoured right arm. The dream was vivid; it felt too realistic to the point of nearing the threshold of memories instead of just make-believed dreams.

My eyes instantly landed on the adorable but exhausted look of my mistress sleeping with her arms cross-over the flat surface, resting her head over it. That look however, was almost familiar in a way. It's as if similar to the tiny pinkette in my dreams; but I dismissed it for now and made a mental note for later.

"Arghh…shit…my frigging head. Did someone throw a boulder at me?" I complaint as I sat on what seems to be the edge of the king-size four-poster bed mattress; draped with fine silky white curtains that seems to move ever so graceful in the calming breeze, sourcing itself from the nearby opened window.

After analysing my own condition, the foreign chakra seemed to have been accepted into my own chakra reserves and to my surprise, was also receiving a seemingly perpetual flow of physical energy and disturbingly tried to tap into my spiritual energy; but that was where the good news ends. Upon further inspection, my chakra coils had suffered greatly as my coils struggled to ward off the foreign energy.

It seems the presence of both energies had severely induced a negative effect upon it; though fortunately not thoroughly crushed and burnt, I sighed at my own tenacity to even survive that potentially deathly version of tug-of-war except that both opponents were the energy's representative and the rope were my own chakra coils. It had significantly slowed down compared to when it first entered my chakra circulation system due to my constant regeneration but the fact that it is still under stressed of being ripped apart by the clashed of both powers is disheartening; and it hurt like a fucking bitch to boot.

Getting up from bed was the easy part. Standing up after spending quite a while in La-La land was probably not the brightest idea in the world; I'd nearly stumbled upon a thin metal basin half-filled to the brim and a towel rested on its rim located near the leg of the bed; indicating that someone has been busy swiping sweat off me while I was knocked out. After a short while of self-musing, I heard muffled footsteps coming from the wooden door that separate this room and with what I presumed to be the personnel corridors of the dormitories.

As the footstep became louder, I became more and more anxious as to who might visit at these late hours. Since this was an academy, it might just be random students getting back from whatever they were doing, but decided to stand guard regardless. I hurriedly took out my kunais from a side pouch; avoiding using my more specialized melee weapon to reduce straining my already severely damaged chakra coils. Unfortunately, the footsteps had ceased right at the moment it reached the other side of the door. This is just great; as if getting crippled wasn't bad enough.

I noticed the knob twisting slightly before the door crept opened; precisely at that moment I took an offensive stand and nearly threw the melee projectile before stopping my own hand from completely letting it go. The figure who entered the room wasn't some would-be assassin or shinobi, but a young girl in her mid-teen with raven black hair sporting a rather frilly dress. I let off a sigh of relief as I hastily hid the offensive metal away before she could recognized what I had attempted to do earlier before giving her a reassuring smile.

"Good evening." I began with the scripted ice-breaker "If I may ask, were you the one who carried me here and nursed me while I was asleep?" I asked in a soft voice; the girl greeted me with a thin but sincere smile.

"It was Lord Gramont who carried you here and yes" she paused momentarily, as if piecing together her vocabulary carefully before she answered my question "I'd nursed you back though it was just a simple task of cleaning you off sweat; it was Lady Vallière who took the worst of it as she prayed for your recovery, Sir" she expressed soberly, bowing lightly as she did so before she approached me with her fingers dragging itself along the table's edge.

"The poor girl even claimed that class wasn't important and insisted being beside you at all time." she said as she smiled conservatively. "How are you feeling, Sir?" she finally asked with a tone of worried in her.

"Don't worry about, it was just a minor blackout" I just shrugged it off with a waved of my hand which made her cocked her head to the side.

"Black...out?" her tone spoke of confusion but quickly shook her head. "Sir, are you sure you are alright, you had been unconscious for the entire evening" she enquired with a worried expression.

'_Just a few hours huh'_ I thought. No wonder my chakra coils were still fucked up. If I had been unconscious for maybe two or three days, my regeneration should have recovered the majority of my coils since the day of the summoning. At least the brief rest had saved me from worst of the initial pain as I tried to suppress it. I needed to go outside and take in a breather and analyse my situation further as to where in the world am I and what to expect in the coming days. I turned towards the girl clad in black and white frilly dress and offered her my right hand.

"Thank you for your kind and delicate attention Mrs..." I smiled while trying to woo her for her name. She blushed slightly from the kind praise and averted her gaze away as she answered me.

"I'm Siesta, Sir and I've been charged of being your temporary maid under the Headmaster's orders" she waved at me as if 'thanking her' wasn't necessary at all but I insisted. Finally she relented and reluctantly accepts my gratitude nonetheless. She seems hesitant at first; almost scared. Does it have some to do with what happened during the ceremony or was it something else?

"Well then, thank you Mrs Siesta for your hospitality, but would you be so kind to redirect me towards the courtyards below?" I said in a light voice, careful not to awake my sleeping mistress. "I wish to take in some fresh air." I ended with a faint smile as I hid my growing pain from her suspicions. Damn; whatever it was fuelling me with those half assed energy is going to get it!

She didn't answer but nodded. She gestured for me to follow her lead as I followed her into the slightly lit corridor. We went down a few stairwells before I sensed someone following us. I abruptly halted the maid with my right arm across her torso before slowly managed my index finger towards my lips; gesturing her to remain silent. I slowly crept up the stairs to identify the stalker before I groped something that was...soft?

"Arrrgghh~" there was a loud moaning permeating the empty corridor with a tang of palpable lust. And at that moment for the first time since I came here, I began to sweat bullets.

My mind was running at full capacity at trying to decipher the situation but came out fruitless.

Instead of a middle-aged maid or servant, a teenage girl of somewhere between Louise's age appeared.

Instead of the formal and appropriate white button-up blouse that the students here commonly wore, the girl wore a slightly modified button-down version of the uniform deliberately down to her cleavage line; showing off a generous amount of bosom; which would be scandalously perfect to attract the opposite sex populace.

Instead of an arrogant, prissy and up-tight school girl, she appeared to be the persona of sheer sexual lust and seduction reincarnate; with her tanned dark yet sexy skin combined with her fiery-crimson long hair and bountiful chest that just begs to be squeezed. Everything about her was a powerful contrast to my mistress's…err…'lack of physique'. But what seems estranged was that look in her eyes; the eyes that felt, devoid. My talents are wasted upon those without pride.

"Pervert." I heard a soft, nearly inaudible voice from the side of the stair.

As it turns out, the voice came from another tiny-framed girl almost similar to Louise stature and sharing a similar lack of physique as her; sporting a pair of blue reading glasses and an almost sky-cyan shoulder-length combed hair. The girl was barely reaching the redhead's shoulder height yet her crooked staff was longer than I am in height which gives her a very small appearance…which might explained why I nearly missed her.

But before I could even register her presence, I had been graciously labelled a pervert out of nowhere due to a certain groping act with a certain redhead; unknowing of my actions then.

"Ara...sorry bout that missy" I scratched on the back of my neck as I shrugged the accusation away casually.

"Eh? Why are you apologising? If anything else, it felt extremely...pleasant~" the redhead girl spoke compassionately. I frowned before I heard the maid and blue-headed girl just shrugged it off; this is probably not her first time. I wanted to protest her blissfulness but bit my lip instead before levelling my unconcerned gaze again towards the blue headed girl. I've not in the least interested with the redhead, but the other girl seemed off; detached and what's more; she'd shot me a sharp yet scrutinised gaze.

I kept myself silenced; that and a 3-feet distant between the redhead harpy before coolly turned around in the opposite direction; giving the maid a slight nod, gesturing her to hastily continue her lead to the courtyard which I'd requested earlier.

"Hey, wait a minute Zero's familiar!" she exclaimed but I ignored her as we continued our short journey.

My melancholic expression was absence of neither the looks of disdain nor bitter. I noticed the maid had periodically shifted her gaze between what's beyond her and me as I monitored the heat emitted from her body and her racing heart rate; indicating her well-covered anxiety and nervousness.

"Please, if you have something occupying your thoughts, I will hear them out for you." I coolly reassured her.

"Umm…okay. Where are you from Sir Familiar?" she started with a blunt question. "I can tell that from your…distinct complexion and gaits that you are not exactly human and definitely not from around here." she asked nervously.

I chuckled mirthlessly at the girl's curiosity and deductions. Although inaccurate; she was the first to actually acknowledge me of being nonhuman which was vaguely true…although she was also the first and only one to express it openly with me while those brats in cloaks just shot me those 'commoner' and 'plebeian' terms most of the times. I might as well humour her for the time being.

"You are neither mistaken nor accurate my dear" I began dryly, earning a slight blush from her at the intimate reference. "I did not originally hail from these lands" I paused briefly as I scanned the horizon "…and while where I came from differ no less from this one, though with the obvious lack of technology; I'm afraid that my land cannot compare to the sheer amount of concentrated natural energy that constitutes the air we're so dependant on at this very moment." I explained as I panned the vast open sky.

"Nor does it have fraternal twin moons orbiting the void sky." I finally ended speculatively. I too, had finally noticed it and confirmed my initial hypothesis. I was a long way from home. "Quite a strange quirk of fate…don't you agree Mrs Siesta?"

The maid was listening intently at my story-telling before pouting at my last sentence.

"Gezz, I maybe a plebeian but I'm far from being stupid, Sir Familiar!" she grumbled with an adorable pouting face.

"Hehe, pardon my callousness, princess." I gave her a mock bowed with a slight giggle; earning another abashed look from her.

"Kabuto." I informed her.

"Huh?" she blinked at me, probably unfamiliar at the foreign term.

"My name." I kindly supplied.

"Sir…Kabuto" she seemed confounded after she realized what the term meant; which caused her to quickly advert her gaze to hide her sudden blush.

"I apologise for dragging you out here, my dear" I began as soon as we reached one of the courtyard's fountains.

"Hmhmm…I don't mind at all. I am curious of you after all" she proclaimed unashamedly accompanied with another one of her thin smile, obviously being over-restrained.

"I'm flattered." I replied playfully. "Would you kindly explain to me in concise about the history and ruling structure of this land, Siesta? I'm afraid that my knowledge of this land is lacking severely." I asked her in all seriousness but still kept my polite tone.

The girl seemed surprised at the odd request but complied. Maybe she really hadn't believed that I came from another world beyond this one. But her confused expression had dramatically changed to that of enthusiastic. Given that she'd eagerly story-tells me about a religious figurehead of sorts, '_The Great Founder of Magic; Pentagon of the Five Elements, Brimir'_ and his legendary accomplishments to take over the Holy Lands from the elves; a powerful race of nature bearing the Firstborn's Sorcery…whatever that is. But what really threw me off was how many years had passed since then; six frigging thousand years ago.

She explained that 'Halkeginia' was the collective term of all four Brimic nations and a single other nation that's governed by the brutish Germania. She struggled as she tries to explain the current magic system that derived from the founder's fifth and lost art of the void element. I'd noticed that she steer clear of that particular topic; noting that she doesn't know much of the magical theories but only the most very basic from her numerous eavesdrops on lectures.

There were numerous political strife within the Albion, Gallian and even the Tristanian Royal Family that she'd explained as best she could but didn't quite fill my criteria; she's just not knowledgeable enough to cater extensive detail or state vital pieces like the names of public figureheads, general economics and etc. I sighed in defeat.

'_Okay, that obviously didn't went as planned'_ I thought; frustration clearly obvious in my expression. Then I pursued a different topic; that of my summoner, Louise Vallière. She perked as I mentioned her name; informing me of my mistress's lineage as one of the wealthiest, most influential and powerful yet benignant family beneath the royal family; currently ranked third in all of Halkeginia. In addition to their lofty status, the House of Valliere had managed to produce numerous prodigies and significant mages over the last few centuries.

Her perkiness gradually loses momentum when I specifically requested to know of the person herself, of Louise. "Louise is…an exception" as she put it. She seemed to always failed her attempted 'spells'; and inasmuch of that fact, she'd became some sort of 'the black sheep of the flock'; continuously ridiculed with verbal torture and scorned infinitely as _'Louise The Zero'_ due to her incapacity. I was intrigued by the revelation myself.

The maid had realized that she'd spent nearly the entire night…or morning…with me and she'd politely excused herself. I gave her a brief nod, indicating her to take her leave in peace. I was pensive for a minute long as I recollected everything I deduced from my own analytic observation and what Siesta had told me; committing them indiscriminately to memory. As I stared at the mesmerizing penumbra in the distant horizon, I noticed that dawn was slowly approaching; indicated by the radiated warmth of the sun in the slightly cold air as I sensed them through my serpentine sense. But there were still a few hours of darkness before dawn actually came. Maybe I should get some more shuteye; best recover my strength before it start acting up trouble.

I recalled the maid had mentioned something about my Mistress's recent class habits; that she had skipped it for a chance to nurse me back to health. Then again, the thought of that tiny girl man-handling my unconscious state would be ridiculous and dare I think of it…hilarious, but merely gulped of the prospect to save face. Maybe I should wake her up for class after dawn.

With that direction in mind, I took off the moment I got up and went back to my mistress's room, which technically would be my room as well. When I arrived, I was mildly amused to find that the tiny pinkette had somehow awoken from her peaceful slumber and taken the liberty to shift to the nearest, most comfortable place in the entirety of the room; the bed. I also noticed the metal basin from before was on the edge of the room; its liquid innards splattered and partially dented; possibly a kick from an enrage pinkette I would assumed. I was even more intrigued to find that she could think far enough to sense my lack of presence let alone to be angered by it; even after waking up from deep slumber.

"Sleep dream, Little girl" I gently stroked my fingers through her disentangled hair and lightly pinched her nose.

Her face scowled maliciously from the unfamiliar contact but continued her slumber with a woeful expression. She was incredibly adorable in her sleep; a far cry from the noisy, steel-cold gaze from who knows where she picked up from and that prissy, uptight attitude I've seen coming from her. I took in a last bit of her angelic face before retiring unto my makeshift headrest. I could still feel her warmth from where she slept; with a few traces of drool on the surface. I hastily wiped it off with my sleeve and ungracefully fell like a log.

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*** Scene Break***

***POV shift: Louise's***

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I awoke albeit begrudgingly accompanied with a wave of giddiness as my mind came into clarity; stroking upon my heavy eye lids to wash away past traces of lethargic I realized instantly that the abrupt wake up call was anything but natural as I felt a gentle nudge on my temple. Getting up at predawn every morning has been a nightmare for me ever since I'd enrolled into this academy. It was only miraculous I've never been caught tardy or _Dear Founder_ what mother would've done if news of a Valliere skipping classes ever reached the Valliere mansion's doorsteps. Then again, the reason for most of it was eternally indebted to that damnable cow udder-ed Zerbst; thanks to her loudly ecstatic and uproarious morning _urges_. But I hadn't heard anything fishy…yet, but I was doubtful to think I'd awoken under my own will.

"Wake up princess~" I was stupefied to say the least…when all of a sudden; a creepy singsong melodic wake up call put me into high alert. Few things in life had ever fazed me that could equated to mother; even fewer against her fury…but judging from the ghostly pale-white male complexion that had greeted me with nothing more than half a dozen snakelettes writhing out from his sleeves had done just quite that. Dreadfully yet, he had it right in front of my frigging face.

"**Eeeepp…!"** I cringed horridly at the appalled sight, smacking his arm as far away in an effort to rid myself from the squirming mass of disgusting…"**FAMILIAR!"**

I took hold of the only thing that shielded me from that damnable familiar; though my blanket did little to naught of effectively barricading between myself and from whatever was on its other side. "Snakes" that was all I need to know that this little stunt was probably his doing. I lowered the temporary silky barrier only to be caught off guard as I witnessed his six-foot frame shook with mirth before he noticed my exposure.

"Good morning, mistress" he bowed with a wide maniacal grin as he paced towards the door.

"**HEY! W-Where do you think you're going huh?!"** I demanded loudly.

"Out" he said flatly.

"**Get back here you…you…you!**" I was on a warpath to sternly reprimand him of his unruly behaviour but was effectively cut-off.

"Snake got your tongue mistress?" he said as he shot me a whimsical smirk as he laughed it off.

I can't get through his thoughts at all. Had he originate from beyond the Holy Land, beyond the Rub 'al Khali desert? Is he an animal tamer of some sort…his control over that serpent was uncanny and unnaturally impeccable; as if like a familiar. My mind was perplexed by this enigmatic figure; before, he had refused the pact and nearly murdered me by the used of his tamed serpent and just out of the blue, he accepted it as if it was the most natural thing to do.

"**Arrrghh!" **I was on the verged of single handedly balding myself as I pulled my disentangled hair in frustration. I calmed myself before ending myself as the first noble woman to go bald over something as trivial as my familiar.

"Yakku-shee Kah-butto, just who…what are you?" I enquired him as the strange word rolled off my tongue. It wasn't a much of a rhetorical question but sincere curiosity. It was the best effort I could muster at trying to piece up rudimentary vocabulary and asked those three short sentences, hoping for the enigma to answer honestly. He frowned slightly at the blunt question. Had I offended him?

"Would you at least get up from bed and get cleaned up first before discussing on another's personal matters?" he said with a bit less enthusiast.

He walked back towards a wooden table and chair and sat without a tone. He'd gestured me to do what he'd suggested but no self-respecting noble would take suggestions from a mere plebeian seriously, what more to say of a familiar. A noble is always superior to a plebeian, even one as exotic as him…however he does have a point. So with a push, I got out of the bed and walked towards another dresser; albeit this one was mainly designed to bear a hole on the bottom for water to flow down to a collector. It was loaded with few of my personal perfumes, a hair brush, nail clippers and an enclosed wooden pail. I promptly opened the cover and rinsed my face with the fresh water supplied by the academy. I noticed at my utterly dishevelled appearance from a quick glance at a nearby mirror but dismissed it as no one but my familiar was around.

"Bring me my clothes, familiar" I spoke with mild authority. "Any regular uniform would do fine but avoid ones without a sleeve cuffs." I ended with a small smile as I peeked out the window. The breeze was cool and relaxing as they mixed with the lucid warm blue sky serving as a fitting contrast of predawn. As my mind detached from reality, I recollected my memories; of how the student body was terrifically shocked of my familiar's unforeseen character. Though considered a plebeian, he was unique, an animal handler; an impeccable snake tamer one at that. It might not be so bad to have a plebeian as a familiar. At least it can understand more complex orders; act and perform jobs design for humans whereas an animal could only dream of. 'Beggars can't be choosers' I suppose.

I waited for a few minutes before turning my attention back towards him. Surprisingly, he hadn't obliged. He continued to sit there as if dumbfounded over something. Did he miss what I said perhaps?

"Familiar?" I figured maybe he's still new in the business, though re-educating him would demand time and effort; both of which is something of a luxury that I do not own cheaply.

"I'm not your common servant, mistress." he retorted in mild indignant.

I wanted to protest at his indignation; something about nobles being superior to plebeian and how nobles should never dress themselves in the present of a servant, but quickly bit my lip at the thought. This was the same enigma who'd tried to refuse my summoning pact; tried to kill me off for forcing it on him and miraculously accepting the contract in the end. I cursed inwardly for being so helpless, even before my own familiar but kept silent regardless.

"Then I wouldn't feed you breakfast." I snarled at him, my tone contemptuous.

"Compromise accepted" he retort apathetically; waving airily with a thin smirk at the casual threat. Oh Founder! I would love nothing more than to blow him up…but reconsidered it was childish and counterproductive anyway.

"Fine!" I relented, my voice filled with annoyance.

He'd told me to get dressed and met him down in the hallway, saying that he wanted discuss something related to the Springtime Familiar Summoning ritual. I raised my brow at the abrupt request but earned a haughty smirk from the strange snake tamer instead. He retreated to the doorway and bow slightly as he exited the room. What does he intend to figure out of the ritual and why. I was musing contemplatively as I put on a freshly steamed set of clothes. I must ask of him of his origin before the summoning ceremony; and those serpents he kept inside of his robes.

I calmly exited my room; with a quick tug of the key, the locking mechanism kicked in and secured the room; though such things were nothing more than mere prevention for would-be plebeian thief to indulge himself with her possessions. After a few flights of stairs, I came towards my rendezvous point with my familiar before I caught him sharing pleasantries with a maid…or so I presumed. The hallway they were on seemed vacant so maybe I should humour them for a little bit.

"That's just impossible, Mr Kabuto. Only nobles can wield magic. It does not only act as a fact, but as law by the holy church of Brimir." the maid protested with both her hands gestured out to emphasize her cause. Well of course, that's why there's a strict social gap between nobles and plebeians.

"I do not appreciate that kind of sentimentality, Siesta" I heard him calling her name with a tad of anger in his tone. "While there are some real truth out there…does not mean everything else is; remember, nothing is truly true in this world."

"If there's no truth, then how; we of the common people regard what is true and what isn't?" she redirected his words in an attempt to throw him off, I suppose it is kind of clever. My familiar had contradicted himself and the maid did have a point on that. A simple yet brilliant reply. I wanted to hear more on how my familiar would counter that and thus kept hidden behind the corner.

"Preconception. Your mind set, Siesta. Whenever a fact is preconceived, it could be bogus or the truth entirely; but even if ninety percent of all the world believed and cling to it, that leaves another ten percent who don't and may substitute it with their own brand of truths and facts. Remember, lies can be masked as truth effortlessly. So I asked you now, if you were presented a chance for power like magic, would you cling yourself to that preconceived idea of only nobles could use magic and toil for the rest of your miserable life or would you believe in yourself and preconceive another fact…one that even the common could wield magic." He laid out both his arm gesturing her to pick a choice. "Six thousand years of out-dated and stagnant ruling structure and society based upon inequality, extreme prejudice and ignorance" he paused slightly as he overlapped both his palms and pressed them together "or something different?" he ended with a quizzical tone.

The maid was squirming over the fact, trying to appease him. Better not let things get out of hand. I waited for a good minute before coming out from my eavesdropping spot; walking in stride with an overly pretentious gait. The maid winced exaggeratedly while my familiar hadn't even batted an eye. Again I cursed him of his strict composure.

"Thank you for your delightful company Siesta, I shall take my leave with my mistress now" he said gracefully as he back stepped towards my side.

I gave him sly look but let it slide…at least for now. I gave a brief nod to the maid; gesturing her to leave us so she could continue with her morning duties. She respectfully bowed and took off. That left just me and my familiar. As soon as we walked into the main hallway; the obvious crowdedness showed itself with the morning hassle of the servants, faculty staffs and students of the academy swarming into the main dining hall, The Alviss Hall. As we walked obliviously in the midst of the hustling morning activities, I cocked my head to face him only to be greeted with a grievous look painted on his expression. Is he troubled over something?

"Mind sharing a piece of your thought, familiar?" I began with mild curiosity, pinning his full attention on me.

"It's nothing really." he answered dryly; his forlorn expression softened. "But I'd never expected that you were the type who would actually eavesdrop on my conversations, however…" I winced slightly the the accusation, but kept silent as I turned towards the floor with a mild blush; he paused briefly as he stopped in the middle of the busy hallway, gaining slight glares from the surrounding students which both my familiar and I ignored.

"However what familiar?" I asked anxiously as I interjected to maintain the conversation running, hoping to keep that last embarrassing titbit from re-emerging.

"Do you have friends, mistress?" he directed the blunt question with soft voice as not to be heard from nearby passer-by.

"…hmph…what friends…" I whispered that last question rhetorically.

"Pardon?" he enquired. But I moved on without a care.

Somehow that word made me feel detached from everything that's real to me. It is one thing to be counted and given compassion from a family member; but apart from the Viscount, Sir Jean-Jacques Francis de Wardes; the term 'friends' are merely illusionary connections between children of significant families and nothing more; and to add fuel into the fire, Sir Wardes himself had been made my fiancé as a means of in-between familial solidification by my parents. I was pensive along the way to the dining hall; the familiar keeping silent all the while, which I'm grateful for. As we came through the doorway, we received a magnitude of glares that varied from looks of curiosity to out-right peeved. I ignored most of the unwelcoming glares but my familiar did something I never would have expected coming from a plebeian.

"My, my…mistress, I'm sure that my knowledge of these backwater lands are severely lacking; so wouldn't it be prudent to assumed that glaring at other's throat is the official norm greetings for all the Brimir clan to avoid misconception?" he said sardonically as he glared them back; even to go as far as to speak his thought aloud for all to hear. The whole 'backwater' remark got them even more agitated as I too felt slightly stung by it but proceeded to my meals like always.

I wondered on his odd choice of term for the social standing of nobility such as calling it a _'clan'_. Maybe it was how things were done back at his hometown perhaps. I giggled slightly at his sarcastic comment though and took it as a defensive act for my sake; of course I didn't show it publicly but I'm grateful nonetheless. Maybe I should retract the _'no breakfast' _punishment earlier.

"So what's the objective, mistress?" he demanded politely.

"This is the Alviss Dining Hall where all meals are prepared for the nobles studying here. Familiars aren't even allowed in here but I've requested special permission for you to accompany me. You should feel yourself lucky." I told him dryly. Though, I swear to Brimir that he just snorted in contempt. _'I'll flush that rude behaviour out of you soon enough you dog' _I decided inwardly.

Surprisingly, he manage to act the role as he escorted me to an empty seat, pulled it out and gestured for me to seat. So he knows the etiquette of dining too, perhaps he was a servant before the summoning as well? Maybe he's one of the 'Beast Jester' I've heard so much about, but noting it as irrelevant anyway. I proceeded with a fork and knife in both hands and gestured my familiar to take a seat…under the table. A simple, worn plate; with it, a single piece of stalled-looking bread occupies its flat ceramic surface. I wasn't sure of his preferences, but that would do for now. Well, it could serve as a food for thought later on as I feast on the hearty meal…before I was interrupted of my eager eating spree. I felt a not-so-gentle grip on my shoulder as I turned to meet the offensive gesture, accompanied by my best glare. I was frozen at his more intense glare; tightening his grip on my shoulder nearly to breaking point. I tried to fend off the opposing hand but failed as he gripped my other shoulder and we glared each other face to face.

"Surely you jest, Louise" his tone dry, his expression; dire as he addressed me with my given name. My thoughts were pacing at near wind dragon's speed as my train of thought was interrupted as he lets go of his bone-cracking grip. I was panting slowly as to recover my thoughts and dulled the slowly creeping pain on my sore shoulders; but before that, the familiar took a full panoramic view of the surrounding hall before directing his attention back at me. I could feel my heart racing once more just like during the summoning ritual, only this time I was much more reserved than before.

"What's the matter with you familiar?! Am I not generous enough that I decided to feed you after what you said this morning?!" I cry out with dispassionate tone.

"Hey Zero, keep your dog under a tight leach would you. It's so ineloquent for an animal to bark back at its master especially on the table, or maybe you're the familiar one here." one of the gathered students yelled dramatically before laughing out loud without restraint.

"Yeah! I know you were a Zero in anything magic, but this is too much" another joined the fray. Again and again, more would join the parade of sarcasm and insults. I kept it bottled up inside, refusing to break down before them and showing weakness; following the very essences of the _'Rule of Steel'_ down to the textbook. But then I froze.

His white serpent slithered out of the bottom of his robe which unnerved me greatly but firmly stood still as I continued my death glare at him. The said serpent slithered towards the plate of bread before throwing it into the nearby wall, utterly destroying the ceramic plate and surprisingly made a wide gashed crack on the wall where the impact had happened. This got the attention of everyone in the room and servants as they watched with shocked and awe. I was appalled by the act but kept silent nonetheless as to resolve this diplomatically.

"What is your problem, familiar?!" I had asked the most prominent question that pops into my head at the moment, and it seems to be timely executed as he opened his mouth to retort. I was trying to supress my embarrassment as I was unable to control my familiar from acting up especially after being reprimanded by my own peers a few seconds ago. I would be sure to give him a word of '_advice_' later on.

"…everyone's attitude…" he answered dryly. I couldn't make sense of his reason but entertained it to extract the truth further.

"…attitude…? Would you mind explaining that vague reason?" I asked curiously.

"An explanation would only be wasted on you and your ilk" he waved with a bored expression before turning around; slowly walking towards the exit.

I felt slightly offended as I tightened my balled fist at the callous comment but refrained from acting further. I was helpless with my current state, unable to summon even the simplest of spells but explosions. Then inspiration hit me, my failed attempt usually accompanied by a wave of non-lethal explosions! Maybe I could restrain him with a warning shot and perhaps even hold him on a leash, sort of. I would never have to resort to this if the Vallière's name wasn't at stake but compromised for the greater benefit.

Without hesitation, I released the custom holster which secures my wand and took aim at my familiar. I had never purposely experiment my magic on live targets and I might bear several repercussions as a result of this act but if this succeeds, it would stop the degrading glares shot at me by my peers at the moment. With a slight tingling that almost always followed by when a spell is casted, the general area which my familiar stood on was thoroughly decimated by the sheer raw power of my explosion. I could hear gasped of shocked from the student body, maybe mostly at the idea of a failure mage of '_Vallière' _casting an explosion on her disobedience familiar.

'_Maybe my failures did have its benefit after all' _I thought inwardly.

I stood there triumphantly as I slowly crept to the destructed scene; smirking haughtily as I began formulating foreseeable punishable options if similar _'accidents' _were to happened again. As I got neared, imagined my surprised when the crater formed by the concussive force of the former explosion revealed absolutely nothing at all but numerous debris of wood scattered around. I sweat profusely at the thought of accidentally killing my familiar with _'magic' _or at least the by-product of its failing execution.

"No way, it can't be" I murmured silently, my tone remorseful.

I would have expected he would get knocked out or maybe bleed a little at worst case scenario, but to exterminate him, in public no less; that had drained all the blood from my face. That was when I felt a sharp thin edge resting gently across my bare neck. My eyes widen as I realized that a triangular knife-like object was threatening to slit my throat if I move an inch. Even as still as I stood there frozen, I could feel a slightly warm stream of vital fluid escaping from the cold, slightly painful contact. I hid all traces of fear; holding back the tears before it even begin to soak my paled cheeks and mustered every pounce of fortitude I could to control my body's trembling uselessly at the death threat.

"R-Release Lady Vallière a-at o-once!" I heard someone intervened yet the stuttering didn't manage to quell my anxiety of the dire situation.

"Back away from her, plebeian!" I heard another student voicing their thoughts of my situation. Although I was failure of a mage, I was still a noble; and a plebeian threatening a noble would inevitably force them to take strict action on such heretic and blasphemous act.

Again and again, more would rise to take support on the noble against the plebeian as the riot began spreading like wildfire. That was when I felt the sharp object lifted from my tender throat; I quickly gained distances away from my familiar as he just stood there, motionless. Of course he would be terribly shaken over the fact that almost every noble presence had expressed their rather volatile course of action;but instead of a broken down familiar, he actually grinned back.

"HAHAHAHAHA! It seems that these brats had interest to ensure your safety, mistress…or maybe it wasn't you they were thinking trying to protect…but their own hide." he laughed almost maniacally. "I apologize" he said half-heartedly as he wiped his left eye as if he'd teared at all. He soon adopted a weird act of pressing against his glasses at the bridge of it and the outer rims of the spectacles themselves. With it, his expression remained stoic and void of emotion as if masked by a thin veil of illusion.

"Don't give me that 'innocent' façade, you dog!" I hissed at him, my tone brimmed with irritation. He flinched slightly at the accusation for the first time I've met him but his hood covered his face pretty dang well. I was already prepared for another anger-filled retort.

But the said familiar was unsettlingly pensive. I wondered what could've gone through his mind right now; would he be riddled with anxiety of being painfully reminded why the nobles were above the plebeians; was it fear of getting hit by my even more devastating explosions?; or is he just feigning ignorance and hope for the storm to past by, I couldn't guess. But no matter what he did, he was my familiar and thus my next move on the chess board.

"Please, everyone! Hold your wands; none would deal a single blow unless you wish to incur the Vallière's ire!" I sighed in relief as most of the student had stopped their incantation mid-sentence and lowered their wands in respond. I would never have expected for me to make a casual threat through my linage but this was one of those 'drastic situation calls for drastic measures' kind of thing that mother used to say.

"Thank you, Mistress. I appreciate your sympathy though it was uncalled for" I strained my neck to get a full view of his hunched posture. Must he appear himself to be meek now of all time after all that theatrics? He supposed to be my wise, beautiful and strong familiar for crying out loud, even if he had nearly killed me…twice!

"I had intervened not out of sympathy, familiar, but out of duty" I shot at him with a malicious leer. "Surely you must have a reason to casually threaten me with a piece of sharpened metal on my throat now would you?" I asked him with a sardonic voice filling every syllable.

He'd taken off his spectacles then calmly fogged the lens before momentarily wiping it off with his robe and reapplying it on himself. It wasn't any more lucid than it was before, but his expression turned dire; a grave, sharp look.

"Do you remember our mutualistic agreement, Mistress Louise Françoise LeBlanc de la Vallière?" he hissed at me indignantly. But it was his combination of sudden regal tone, my full name and his dire expression that made me shaking underneath.

"To be treated as a human being" I deadpanned as I quietly muttered those words, trying very hard not to hit my head 1000 times for omitting that the one and only thing holding this relationship together. But I can't stop here. And precise, he was already under my brand; those runes symbolizes his loyalty to me and trust above all else. But I need to play my cards right if I want to get his good side to work for me but still remain above him. Maybe I'll play his mind games for a while; to treat him as a human being…but no more.

He nods approvingly as he continues to scan the already growing numbers of gathering young nobles "Though I'd ignored most of your forgetfulness as it was mostly trivial; that wasn't the main reason either, not consciously at least, Louise" he paused briefly to hid his odd triangular knifes and resumes his bored stance. Really, this damnable familiar could really be my downfall one day as I measured myself from bursting in rage at his disrespectfulness; even at the presence of numerous others.

"…but it was just habitual refle…" Before he could utter another word; a certain young blonde noble cut him off.

"**ENOUGH!**" the blonde exclaimed loudly. I was in the innermost of the circling flock; stiffened as I was with everyone else when I'd heard Guiche's sudden clamorous outcry; his tone spoke of murderous intent. He walks out from the crowd, parading down halfway towards the snake tamer before he pointed his rose wand at him.

'_You've got to be kidding me!' _I cringed inwardly. Surely the Founder had a strange fetish for my bane existent.

"I shall no longer tolerate such affront from a mere plebeian, what more to say from a lowly familiar." he roared; his appearance contrasted his manner. The blonde's coquet wonted mannerism just wasn't presence anymore, leaving the impression of a freshly conditioned soldier; the son of Gramont.

"Oh, so what kid? Do I have to lick your boots or something Blondie?" he retorted flippantly. That earned him even more seething glares from the crowd.

"We shall duel, familiar. As such, I'd pledged the honour of nobility; namely mine, against yours" I heard him gritting his teeth even from this distance. Surely he'd taken those insults severely. To duel in the name of honour had the highest regard in the code of nobility, since all nobles would want to gain name while disgracing others, it was perfect. Perfect for Guiche anyway. I needed to stop him before others would rally behind him.

"And what if I refuse?" the snake tamer replied dryly. I almost couldn't believe that he would have the gall to even talk back towards nobles, much less reject the proposition from Guiche who was also the forth son of General De Gramont. That was twice now he'd done that, it's almost becoming more irritating than insulting.

"Wait, Guiche de Gramont" he didn't even bother to strain his neck to face me, in fact he didn't do anything at all. But I knew he was listening intently to my cold steel tone; "Duels are pro…" I was suddenly cut off by his slightly pinning gaze on me.

"Prohibited, is that it" he mumbled softly, as if he was calm and acting all flamboyant again. I could've been tricked if not for his stiff posture and gradually levelling his rose wand towards the snake tamer. "Prohibition of duels are subjected only to nobles, according to the statutes of the academy; not plebeians Lady Vallière." He ended monotonously. "But it may seem that your familiar is too much of a coward to even defend his honour and accept the duel; suited for a lowly dog that he is. Although even without the duel, he won't escape this predicament unscathed. He is after all…a **DOG**."

But that conversation quickly ended with a loud, maniacal laugh coming from the snake tamer which caused us to flinch slightly. The man was laughing so hard, he was practically hunching backwards in an arc and his limbs out-stretched limply. _**"DON'T YOU DARE TAKE IT BACK NOW, KID...CAUSE I'LL BE SHOVING BACK THOSE ARROGANT WORDS DOWN YOUR THROAT!"**_

Before long, a blonde teenage girl steps out to accompany her lover. "Montmorency…" I could barely mutter her name as more and more nobles took out their wands; side by side. By the end of it, the whole crowd had conjoined on the couple's fate. There would be no forgiveness after all this; no mercy; no remorse. My familiar after all, had mocked nobility in their presence. It was my fault; my pride that had led it here. I shouldn't have thrown my problems back at my familiar like that. But it's too late now.

As rose petals flung from Guiche's wand touched the marble floor, nearby vicinity was consumed by a bright light, followed by a chain of loud thumbs as if it was choreographed. In its epicentre of erupted marble, stone, dirt and mud stood six partially bronze figures with a mix-mashed of marble stone; fashioned to be simple and practical. None was the usual curvature of female lines that almost always signified his creations, only raw practicality. Each of the six bronze figures had specific weapons. Three of them wielded simple twin-headed halberds for a quick and successive wide area sweep attacks, another two wielded a non-decorated double-handed twin edged broadsword. The last had very thin frames with very little armour plating, almost as if emphasized on being as light as possible. Adorned in simple armour, it had very thin yet long bipedal limbs; equipped with a simple unadorned single-handed long sword yet in its inelegant hid a hidden, deathly potential as it stood in the middle pack.

"_**CHARGE!"**_ Guiche let out a screeching war-cry.

In my moment of wallowing in self-accusation, Guiche had taken the preemptive strike with his Valkyries; even as far as to ignore giving proper introduction and proper venue of the duel. Instead he had transmuted his creation within the dining hall itself and didn't even care to proclaim his runic name, ironic when considering that he proposed this duel under the name of honour. This is his serious side, a side none had bear witness before. I shuddered at the thought.

This is a noble-borne prodigious tactician from a prestigious and well-known military lineage gifted at earth-marionette magic.

This is Guiche de Gramont of The Bronze.

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***End of Chapter***

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**A/N: I'm sorry about the whole cliff-hanger thing but a majority of the fight scene with Guiche is still a bloody mess. In this chapter, I wanted to emphasize that Kabuto hadn't met Guiche courting the lovely 1st year Katie because of time...in the canon, Saito met them roughly after dinner but in this AU, it was probably midnight. And why he met both Kirche and Tabitha? Because Kirche is known with her...ehem...urges and thus wandering around at midnight for extra curriculum wasn't outside the realm of possibility and Tabitha is known for her vigilante night patrols due to the lack of security and other 'classified' businesses. **

**Another part was Guiche's scene. In the canon, he's a fop...and he'll always be one no matter what. It's what makes him who he is. Guiche is Guiche. But he's also an brilliant tactician as seen in his skills of commandeering a Class of Knights under his belt but failed to show early in the canon due to one thing, he underestimated Saito and also he wasn't quite as displeased as I made him here. Since the magic system mentioned the 'Power' and 'Natures' of magic is based upon the 'Staking system', I assumed that no matter if you're a Dot or a Square mage, mastery in individual stakes shouldn't hinder much. The staking system only makes a difference in the form of size, mass, power, substance, and advance traits like invisibility with water, clones with air and haze with fire. **

**Thz for reading.**


	3. Third Shed

**Third Shed: Act of Tactical Attrition**

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**I own nothing.**

**Zero no Tsukaima is owned by Noboru Yamaguchi.**

**Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.**

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***Tristain Academy of Magic: Alvis Great Hall***

***Kabuto's POV***

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"_**CHARGE!**_"

I vaguely heard the blonde's out-cry, as I was intoxicated with curiosity by such an unorthodox chakra manipulation technique. As improbable as it was, I had witnessed it first-hand of how the boy had released his own chakra and guides them through the rose's stalk; I had a preconceived notion that the boy had somehow circumvented them through the natural microscopic pores found throughout the peculiar looking appendage. I assumed these 'magic' techniques make use of these appendages as some form of proxy of sort, almost akin to hand-seals, I presumed.

My mind was already revving at high gear, tactically analysing the most efficient method to subdue the enraged mage and simultaneously prolonging it in an attempt to gather as much data from the fight as possible. The halberd wielding puppets dashed forward; its tip solely focused wherein my abdomen and limbs lie. Within a split second, two of the constructs separated left and right respectively into a pincer attack formation while the middle one stayed put, which had set enough alarms to force me to go on the defensive and rely on counter strikes.

"I will teach you a painful lesson on why you shouldn't step on any of your betters, Familiar!" he spoke rather condescendingly as he brandished his rose stalk at me.

I had very little to naught experience against these 'mages' but from the oddity of their techniques and styles, I needed to approach this with the right amount of caution before stepping on top of the iceberg. Those construct could be carrying venom, debilitating traps or even set to detonate on contact, especially so if they are made of earth. I am sure Deidara would not mind me taking precaution basing off his 'artistic' exploding clay style. I also needed to remind myself that ninjutsu would probably be a very bad idea, if my still severely damaged chakra coils were any indication.

The boy got resourceful as he sent one from my right side to jump up from one of the tables as high as its metal legs could leap, destroying the said table into smithereens. The construct held its halberd with both its hand gripping upon the end of said weapon's hilt, granting a decent amount of distant between it and the bladed tip; ensuring maximum momentum build up for a head-shattering deathblow from above, meanwhile the middle one held its halberd in a ready-throw javelin position. It pulled back its left arm as far as its frame could lean without tipping off, the sound of metal bending slightly as tension builds up within its frame before hurling the halberd with great force. Meanwhile the one on my left side went for a more direct assault, dashing across the great hall with its halberd readied to impale its master's enemies without mercy.

Halberds are typically heavy mid-range melee weapons that focus on bone-shattering attacks and piecing strikes or they could be as effective albeit cumbersome throwing weapons as well. To utilize it fully, one must strike with precision and enough momentum for optimum result, thus greater effectiveness in numbers where distractions were bountiful. The boy had a pretty sharp mind. He had planned to distract me with multiple incoming attacks while hoping that one of the three attacks would connect.

However, in that instant where the tip of the halberd no more than mere inches away from my skull, I sidestepped it to the side. The construct could do naught but impaled the halberd into the marble floor, a prisoner of its own momentum. In doing so, I grabbed the metal pole with unyielding strength and took advantage of its momentum before using them to smashed the empty suit of armour into the marble floor with enough force to create a half-meter deep crater; relinquishing its sole weapon from its metal grip. Then all of a sudden, a bright white light began emitting from my left hand. On it, some kind of strange writings have been engrave unto the skin, shining brightly for all to see.

"Hmm, a sealing brand? Curious, very curious," I muttered clinically.

However, aside from the fact that this light-effect makes my left hand glow in the dark, there seems to be no other side effects. Slightly preoccupied, I minutely sensed the flung halberd approaching, ducking just enough for it to barely scrape my hood. The offending metal flown right through the air that should have been my skull; instead, I instantaneously grabbed the halberd by its hilt in mid-air, spun it 180° and threw it back to its original owner with tremendous strength. The halberd hummed as it cuts the air like some demented over-sized arrow until its tip reaches the doomed construct. The tip penetrated through the construct's soft thin armour like a hot knife through butter, dismantling its centrepiece and weakening its frame further before it fell uselessly to the ground and dissolved into bronze-coloured ash.

'**CLUNK! PLUNK!CLUNK!'**

The hall reverberates as I felt the sub-sonic sensation of metal hitting metal. The left side puppet finally caught up to me with a few horizontal slashes but was effortlessly dodged; however, with a kick, its lightweight body flew forwards as it goes for a diving attack.

'**THUNK! CLUNK! CLUNK!'**

Parry after parry, the construct attacked relentlessly without remorse. The puppet was still the same kind of construct as the previous however, this one felt more alive, more fluid and less mechanical. It was not limited to a single attack with simple slashes or piercing moves, but also made use of the blunt end of the halberd to smash the floor that sent dust and debris into its opponent eyes and obscuring the field of vision while it randomly strikes from a far. Perhaps the boy's control had increased due to the loss of a couple of his constructs. However, no matter how resourceful, such an inferior design would invite a great many flaws. A light sidekick sent its leg unbalanced, and with another low kick, its legs were broken into many pieces; effectively crippling its mobility permanently.

'**THUD!'**

I drove the stolen bronze halberd right into the belly of the construct to pin it from squirming around too much and simultaneously embedding my right arm up to an elbow deep, pumping in dozens of venomous snakelettes into the hollowed hull before delivering it with a full roundhouse kick towards the blonde puppeteer.

"Shi…" was all the boy could mutter as he weaves his magic rose stalk quickly for his rear guards to take the brunt of the incoming projectile, even knowing it would be too late. There were loud gasps from the audience as if they were holding their breath. I could imagine their flabbergasted looks on their faces as a mere 'plebeian' as they called it, fighting on par with one of their own. These 'mages' were blinded by their pride and arrogance due to 'magic'. As a result, it was common knowledge that a mage is always superior to every other non-mage. Therefore, no non-mages could bring harm towards a mage and nobles, which has led to induce a narrow-minded society that reflect their narrow mind-set. I grinned haughtily before a water cyclone blew the crippled construct away, causing it to land ungracefully all the way to the end of the great hall.

"OH and you are?" I asked dryly.

"Hmph…I'm Montmorency Margarita la Fère de Montmorency," She spoke regally but her tone was brimming with irritation. "And Guiche won't be fighting alone in this duel." the freckled girl decided to step into the fray with what looks like a whip made completely out of water extending from her magic stick. Judging from that earlier cyclone and 'water whip', she must be a 'water specialist'; and a decent one if the size and shape of those techniques were any indication, probably around medium chunin.

"Monmont…you need not come at my mercy," he said with slightly warm tone. The freckled blonde girl just shrugged it off as if he had not said anything. "I can take care of this." the freckled girl just seemed unassured for a moment but nodded nonetheless and stood behind her lover. I could see through his fake bravado but why would he turn down the girl's help? She would have been an effective if not glorified pawn rather than to fight alone in this duel.

"I will still support you, Guiche. Even if I have to soil my own two hands," she retorted in condensing tone.

"Cute~ Nice party trick by the way, Momo-chan. At least next time I'll know whom to call if a fire breaks out." I commented sardonically.

"P-PARTY TRICK?!" she screamed in outrage as the girl narrowed her eyes with a seething glare. Touché.

With that last pre-emptive attempt failed, all three of his halberd-wielding constructs were incapacitated. Leaving him with only three fully abled others. I overestimated these earth puppets. They were nothing like the Suna's deathly creations and their puppet-master style. These were thinned versions. Inferior even to the wooden made Suna puppets. These 'construct' were thoroughly hollowed as well as poorly fabricated integrity wise. Their exogenous built made them excelled in agility, had a low cost activation and ease of manipulation. However the trade-offs of hollowed suit of armours is it compromises structural integrity, inadequate mass and prone to concussive blows without much mass to stabilize them, not to mention loud due to its hollowed feature.

The ones with heavy broadswords seem to act as the rear-guard this time and unlike last time; he was being passive now, waiting for my next move. The two constructs seems to be brandishing their large and bulky weapon in an attempt to taunt me, so I did what was obvious. I took the bait. I eyed him for a moment before weaving a couple of hand signs; pumping in chakra as I began to launch my counter attacks. With the enchantment of chakra at the soles of my feet, its grip upon the marble floor increases tremendously, giving me beyond humanly possible speeds. My internal energy circulation increased in intensity as I felt a slightly warm sensation of chakra flowing down my arms and into my palms as a dazzling blue wave of chakra manifested itself in the form of pseudo-scalpel like blades around the edge on both of my hands.

The boy swung and flicked his rose stalk once again as one of the slim-looking constructs took the vanguard and dashed forward to halt my advances. "Hmph…such futility" I muttered soberly. This slimmer version was obviously faster, that much was obvious. Armed with naught but a single long sword meant that its main offensive would likely be rapid and successive strikes at critical points. To add prove to my theory, as the construct came within point of contact, it unleashed a barrage of strikes in quick succession, which hardly fazed me as I effortlessly dodge and sidestepped every strike while simultaneously chipping away fragments of the blade with my chakra dissection blades. A piercing strike to the heart, then a slash across the abdomen, another piercing attempted towards my lungs and another slash above my shoulders. With every strike, the inferior bronze sword chipped and slowly crumbled before my enchanted blades as cracks and lines appeared on its edge. It had continued until the very blade was nothing more than a dull bronze stick.

"I-Im-Impossible…" the freckled blonde girl stuttered. I could tell she was jarred by this; even more so than Guiche, but I could not be reckless. As soon as I thought that, a pair of short swords flung towards me as I instinctively intercepted with a barrage of shurikens; one flown off course and buried itself a third deep into the marble floor, while the other was not so affected as it flew by and merely passed me as if I was not the intended target. The sword flew towards the slim construct at which it took the liberty to procure the freshly made sword mid-air for itself. I was mildly surprised to realize that the whole thing was a feint for the boy to rearm his puppets. I was even more surprised as I'd barely able to dodge a shield that was hurled at me at tremendous speed; imbedding itself into the nearby wall. Although his puppets were clearly outclassed, I smirked inwardly, pleased to know that my opponent was not taking any chances with that creative feint.

"Was that all the aces up your sleeve, Blondie? Or was it a lucky strike? Either way, you've already lost." I deliberately struck his nerve to distract him momentarily; grinning as I saw his expression contorted into an unsightly crunched up face as he sputtered chain of curses about 'Brimir's balls' and such.

Before the construct could rearm itself with the embedded shield, I was already advancing to counter it. With a final huff, I kicked off in a dash as strong as my sole enchanted legs could pushed; utterly destroying the construct's chest with a punch before it even registered my hasty counter attack. The punch was so hard, the construct flew backward slightly before it cease movement entirely and finally dropped dead as the bronze puppet was cut off from its strings. I then hastily crossed the gap between the blonde couples and me in an instant before coming to a full halt. My chakra dissection blades flickered lazily inches away from a certain blonde couple's throats as I stood in between them with my arms crossing in an X pattern and the other two puppet's weapons crisscrossing at mine. It seems the flamboyant boy has a knack for reaction reflex than I previously anticipated. Though his puppets were not up to standard, the kid got potential.

Not only he could mold and shaped six detailed puppets from bare earth and embellished them into bronze and fabricating them into suits of armour; he managed to put various shapes, weapons and battle traits into each one, potentially flanking his enemies. Albeit he could not control all at once as he only control three of his puppets at one time while keeping the others in idle state. Now that his number and range advantage was all but dwindle to a remaining two armed , a water specialist which is also happened to be his lover and trapped within melee combat, I was sure he would change tactics…however was disappointed when it never came.

"Eeppp…!" the freckled blonde girl yelped in shocked as her dominant hand loosen its grip and dropped the wooden stick she was holding onto the marble floor, which thoroughly dispelled whatever that had empowered the water whip. I guess without those wooden sticks, their technique would falter and dissolve. I was practically grinning enough to split my head into halve over the revelation; and with it, I could tell the raw fear exuding from her as she sweats bullets when she realized the source of my sudden gleefulness.

"W-What?! H-How di-did y-you…?" the blonde fop stuttered nervously as his eyes widens in astonishment of my feats.

The novelty soon wore off as his expression turned utterly livid compared to his astonished expression earlier. He was completely muddled as to how I could reach them when I was practically a hundred metres from them. He however had good enough reflex to command his idle constructs at the spur of the moment involuntarily and that had probably saved him.

"Orthodox tactics, above average creativity, good reflex and a slightly below average puppet creation; though you lack two vital traits, Blondie" I snarled in amusement at his state of shock. "Control and Focus" I added with a haughty smirk.

"**W-WHAT ARE YOU S-SAYING?!** **M-MY VALKYRIES ARE P-PERFECT!"** he stuttered all over the place; his grip over his rose stalk turning white from the pressure he was applying at the time.

"Huh, such blatant excuse of a puppet; perfect you say?" I raised my sardonic tone a bit higher this time to express my disapproval.

From the contemptuous glare he shot at me, I took that as a mute retort. The boy had potential although he lacks certain prospects…or more like too much of it. A puppeteer would do well to stay clear of the battlefield, hidden from danger and sight while applying pressure on the enemy through debilitation and one-hit kill style. The fop did had a good deal of tactical ability no doubt, but his pride ensured that he would show himself instead of hiding and wasting their breath over their own superiority which gives precious seconds for his enemy to turn the odds around.

"You lose." I told him on a whim.

"Why so sure of yourself? I already have you where I want you; by the throat," he retort flippantly, sounding ever so confident even over a stalemate. I then slowly gestured him to look down with a quick nod of my head.

He smirked slyly, so assured of that this battle was his. All that bravado quickly disappears as he peered downwards only to turn pale at the sight of nearly two dozen white snakelettes writhing around them. He levelled his head with dilated pupils only to be surprise by my own sneering mirth.

"Do not underestimate these critters. Though small, they carry enough venom to kill ten men within a single bite. You would do well to remember not to step on any of your betters," I told him rather sarcastically.

As if acting like portals, half a dozen arm-sized white snakes popped out from each sleeves of my robe, effortlessly entangling the blonde couples into a helix of muscular vines made of flesh and bone.

"**AARRGH!**" Montmorency yelped in horrid as she screams at the top of her lungs until every breath taken from her.

It was probably due to her incessant struggling and the helix of snakes pressing inwardly at her chest that inhibits air inhalation. There was discomfort in the eyes of the witnessing audience however this is not call a duel for nothing. Since the blonde girl intervened, she was also a part of the duel as well.

"How…" he murmured silently, diffident at the unexpected turn of events.

"Behind you…" I supplied with a grin. Even in his dire state, he frantically turned his gaze behind him as he scanned the hall in detail. He was pensive for a while; his sight locked towards a familiar scene…one of his so-called Valkyrie and what accompanied from its remains; snakelettes upon snakelettes creeping towards us. As he saw them, I decided to add some more tension to the helix and awarded with another high-pitched scream from Montmorency.

The blonde fop hissed in pain but shot me another venomous glare before turning his attention back towards Montmorency. I noticed him running pale at the appalled sight. Before words beginning to trumpet from his mouth, I increased the amount of tension to the helix again, dwindling their hope of reprieve.

'**CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!**'

"**AAAARRRRGGHHHH!**" There was a momentous moment when the whole hall just went dead silent. All but one named Montmorency as she screamed frantically at the sound of her broken legs. Her face contorted with a mixture of bluish purple and smeared make up; smooched by streams of tears from the unbearable pain.

"**MONTMORENCY! I-I YIELD! DO YOU HEAR ME FAMILIAR?! I YIELD DAMNIT!**" the fop call out in an exaggerated concerned tone.

The chilling tone of broken bones made some of the audiences emptied their stomachs while others simply looked away from the eerie scene with their mouth covered to halt any fluid escaping from their throats. I grinned; watching gleefully as both of them wrestled painfully to free from those snakes but failed miserably. I had witness innumerable death to the point of immunity towards human life. Watching the blonde girl panting heavily for air and limping further before her whole body slumps like some dead meat hanged from a butcher's stall did naught to forestall her death warrant. At this point, falling unconscious was a sign of severe hypoxia, which is not bringing me much novelty as opposed to gutting or skinning them alive.

"**FAMILIAR! YOU HAVE WON AND PROVEN YOUR WORTH. NOW RELEASE THEM BOTH AT ONCE!**" I heard my mistress commanded vociferously, at which I paused from building further tension around the blonde duo.

Had she some solicitude towards these nobles then, maybe I had offended her. I was pensive, locking my gaze towards the tiny pinkette with an obvious 'why should I?' look, my posture remained unswayed.

She flinched slightly before steeling herself to look more intimidating. "Fam…Kabuto, this is an order. Release them without further injuring them" but continued in silence before she added "…please…" she said feebly, noticing her tears at the edge of her eyes. Not even a slight hint of authority in her weak voice. I eyed her before turning my gaze back to Guiche and Montmorency.

'**ZZSSSHHHHH!' **

"Argh…" I moaned slightly when a sudden migraine struck me. I held my head, messaging them as I think of how to deal with the situation.

'_**Listen to her… Do not kill them… Louise is my master…'**_

I shook my head as voices began to permeate my mind as if 'suggesting' me to obey those words. With that in mind, I took a glimpse of the gathering teens; rendering mixed looks of resignation, sympathetic and as if pleading for me to release those serpentine restraints. Some even had the galls to point their magic sticks towards me but their teary eyes and shaking limbs were dead give-away towards their resolves. I narrowed my eye at the crowd of teens; releasing a mild amount of killing intent, permeating the air almost immediately. The effect was quick as most turned paled, dropping down to the ground in utter dread and helplessness.

'_**Listen to Louise… Release them… I am her familiar…I shalt obey…' **_

I shook my head again as the voices became more lucid and louder, demanding obedience towards the pinkette.

"I'm able to withhold the boy's death but the girl may have been permanently da…maged…" I paused before I returned my gaze back to Louise. My eyes widen at the discovery of an unknown force attempting to tap into my memories and impulses. Then I remembered the runes, the ones edged unto the flesh of my left hand. The light was all but gone, however the written runes itself was obvious in plain sight. These were not here before. Even after last night, there were no such runes resembling like any these ones. Might have they been healed after the pinkette kissed me? So why would these reappear now of all times if so?

Nevertheless, that was not the point. These runes merely indicate that a certain force has invaded my circulatory and nerves system. It is true that I am receiving a perpetual amount of chakra however, these chakra were merely physical. Could it be that the mental part of the chakra is forcing itself into my mind and slowly seeping in? Could these runes work as boosters for familiars? With added energy reserves, yes. However, what could be achieve through…hmm. I see; that must be the reason. The mental halve of the chakra represents knowledge, skill and experience, while the physical boosts physical prowess and provide muscle memory to facilitate the familiar's skills. Due to my slight resistant to genjutsu, it acts as a sort of temporary filter that blocks access to the foreign energy. I sigh in relief.

As I stood there pensively, I weight my options. The constructs had already begun to wither away, disintegrating uselessly into dust meaning that the boy had lost his one and only means of offensive. The blonde duo were still caged in a helix of serpentine restraint made of muscles and bone roughly half a meter above ground, albeit the girl had stopped moving for a good five minute now. The gathering crowds of teens however, had taken a stand before me; whimpering and standing feebly against my presence alone. My own mistress's expression filled with terror as a look of disbelief coloured her distorted face. In addition, I am being invade by foreign chakra of unknown origin or purpose. In subtly, concise way to say it…well…it is fuck up. Just as I was about to release the blonde duo, I saw the fop began to open his mouth.

"**I YIELD!…PLEASE…SPARE HER…PLEASE SPARE MY DEAR MONTMORENCY'S LIFE!"** I returned my gaze towards the half-death boy with a didactic smirk. As much as I wanted to teach the fop the severe repercussion of challenging me to this farce of a duel and rob him of all he had cherished, my mind was pre-occupied by the newly acquired and personally disturbing revelations. Those thoughts lingered on, even when Louise came closer in obvious reluctant. Tugging my robes gently, she gives me a pleading look of sympathy, almost elegiac.

"K-Kabuto! L-Let them…Let my f-friends go" she whispered sheepishly; tears on the verge of forming around the pinkette's eyes.

Friends she says? These were the same rabbles who had called her names. Whom had dismissed her as a failure. Whom had scorned her for her incapacity. Nothing more than a pseudo-friendship based on rank, wealth and pride. I gradually lose interest over the blondes and eventually released them from their serpentine hold. The fop still had some life in him as he struggles towards the laid still Montmorency.

"Mon-mont…" Guiche crept with his remaining functioning limbs, slowly closing in on his lover. "…mon-mont…" this time his voice was weak, almost toneless as he carefully shook the blonde girl's lifeless body in an attempt to rouse her back into consciousness. The girl did not even do as much as a flinch. I suspected that she was barely hanging on to life if not already dead.

"**SOMEBODY PLEASE CALL A HEALER! PLEASE! SOMEBODY HELP! ANYBODY!"** he cried out, his is shedding so much tears that he seemed to be drowning from them. His voice was course, his hands trembled and his body convulsed in agony as he frantically seek for the attention of his peers.

The pinkette was beside me the whole time, looking at the tragedy that had transpired before her. Her little palms holding onto my robes as if desperate to cling unto somebody.

"…Montmore-…" she whispered sheepishly, as she tries to get closer to the crippled blonde-haired girl. Her clothes were barely in decent state; dishevelled and slightly tattered, due to her previous struggle. A hue of crimson red soaked her lacy black stockings and the hem of her finely woven skirt, dripping generously with a mixture of vital fluids and whatever remnants that had preoccupied her bladder before. The contorted displays of her deformed and crooked hind limbs soaked with blood were the only obvious proof as the source of her unbearable pain.

"**BACK AWAY YOU FIEND! YOU AND YOUR DOG OF A DEVIL!" **Guiche cries out to her in bursting outrage as he denies her of any consolation for the blonde girl.

She flinched away backwards at the angry glare Guiche shot at her before returning to my side once again, her hand clenched tightly into a balled fist. I could easily read her thought through her expressions. It was nothing more than self-loathing.

"Wait…" a soft-spoken voice breezed through the throng of circling audiences.

Guiche turned his head a full 90°, fixing his gaze upon another noble within the gathered crowd. The said noble was a thin framed girl of cyan blue shoulder length hair and a pair of vivid red-rimmed glasses. In her hands was a partially opened book with her petite index finger in between them acting as a bookmark and a familiar looking crooked staff occupied the other. Upon reaching the blonde couples, she lowered her book and opened a few of the top buttons of the unconscious girl's blouse before revealing some skin. She then pressed against the blonde girl's chest with her left hand and held her staff with the other hand as she hover it slightly over Montmorency's still chest.

The girl seemed to be mumbling something but unsure of what the words are with her nearly inaudible tone, adding the difficulty especially from this distant. Then the said staff glowed a light shade of turquoise blue as streams of water began foaming into a ball created from the very water vapour within the atmosphere. The ball of water seemed condensed and as the girl mumble another few short verse, the condensed water at the tip of staff before it began to subtly encapsulating the blonde girl under a thin veil of water.

"Still alive. Shock. Breathing but shallow." the bluette proclaimed softly. I was slightly interested of her healing technique. The once before deformed legs had somehow been restored to its defaulted posture, ruptured and lacerated skin reattached like some imaginary surgeon stitching up an open wound. Although it was only a temporary patchwork, the once broken girl now looked like she had been recovering weeks ago.

The crowd looked relief over the revelation; but none was more distinct than Guiche's own expression of gratefulness. I noticed his earlier floods of tears have already been replace by thin streams flowing down his already stained cheeks and murmuring something that I could not guess what it was. Perhaps a plot of revenge; he's certainly welcome to try. Within moments, the unconscious blonde girl slowly opened her eyes while groaning in pain.

"Gwah~" she let loose a loud yawn before realization snapped her back into reality. She blinked in confusion, unable to sense of the situation judging by her muddled expression. "Tabitha…Guiche…w-what are you doing?" she demanded, blushed by the awkward company.

"Don't strain yourself, Monmont dearest. Lady Tabitha here is applying first aid to your injuries, so lay still." He comforted his lover as he caressed her stained cheeks. The blonde girl just nodded in return, occasionally growling in pain.

"I'm glad she's alive. I don't think your presence is helping so let's go Fam…Kabuto," my mistress suggested through whisper.

I was mostly unaffected by her words but instead turned my attention towards the bluette. Glaring at those dull azure eyes unnerved me even just for a bit, as it was almost like seeing into my own reflection. The bluette is suffering from some kind of emotional or mental trauma, if not both. As if nothing had happened, I turned to walk towards the exit. My mistress seemed to understand the underlying meaning to my sudden taciturn and followed beside me in silent.

* * *

***Scene Break***

***Louise's POV***

***Tristain Academy of Magic: Alvis Hallway Entrance***

* * *

We were both walking down the very same hallway this morning, eager to fill our stomachs. After that last incident, my appetite had quickly vanished due to various events. Things got out of hand quickly, before long it had escalated from simple argument between him and me to a duel between him, Guiche and Montmorency.

'**GRROOOOOWWWWWLLLL~'**

Now that things were fairly settle, my tummy seemed rather exasperated over skipping breakfast and demanding compensation, and quick. As I saw to my side, my familiar was still as pensive as he was walking out of the Alvis Hall. I however am not stupid enough to bother him during his unstable mood swings knowing that he had bested a dot and line mage together in a duel. Well not only bested, but very capable of ending their lives even. Whoever or whatever my familiar is, he is no plebeian but he is also certainly not a mage or noble either. Oh dear Brimir, what have I truly done wrong to have earn your ire.

'**GRROOOOOWWWWWLLLL~'**

"WAAAIT~" I stop to turned around at the howling voice by what seems to be a maidservant.

"Hmph? Oh, Mrs Siesta. What brings you here?" Kabuto asked her smoothly.

"Umm…well…I, uhh…I just want to make sure that you were alright, Sir Kabuto" the maid sounded her concern.

"I am just fine, thank you Siesta for your concern" he kindly replied.

'**GRROOOOOWWWWWLLLL~'**

I held my abdomen tightly together with both my arms supporting it like a mother would cradle her baby, seemingly felt shamefaced at the rather embarrassing but involuntary reflex.

"Umm, I could prepare breakfast and deliver them to your room if you wish, Lady Valliere," the maid offered as she heard the full grunt of my rather peeved belly.

"That will be wonderful, thank you." I replied jovially.

"Will that be all, Lady Valliere?" she continued. Maybe I will have a long discussion with my familiar later on.

"Prepare a set of Darjeeling tea and some biscuits for two and deliver them later," I kindly supplied her with my personal taste on tea and types of biscuit that I might want. In the end, the whole affair took no more than 10 minutes to settle.

* * *

***Scene Break***

***Louise's POV***

***Tristain Academy of Magic: Louise's Room***

* * *

The maid, Siesta had prepared a full course breakfast for me and another meal specifically meant for the kitchen staff to my familiar, Kabuto. After having our share of fillings, the maid quickly took over of the cleaning and replaces them with a full tea set of quality ceramics and an assortment of tip-bits, cupcakes and biscuits that I have requested earlier.

"That will be all Siesta, thank you" the maid in person beamed at me before she went out of the room to leave us in private.

"Are you a noble?" I asked him forthrightly. I could not stand the suspense as I waited for an answer. How could I not after witnessing everything that had befall to Guiche and Montmorency during that duel?

"You don't beat around the bush, do you?" he put down his cup of tea and picked a vanilla cupcake, slowly peeling off the piece of paper that covers its bottom before taking a large bite.

"Well, I would not rather waste time when I could learn if I had summoned a noble instead by accident." I hissed at him.

"Aha, I suppose you are not as obsequious as I thought you would be after all that you have seen this morning." He returned with a mischievous grin. I could tell that my nerve was straining with the unfamiliar patience that I have put up with him.

"Answer my question, familiar!" I lose my cool as I called out his position rather disdainfully. However, his expression went dark after that, no more as carefree as he was a few moments ago. I gulped for a moment but stood firm with wand on hand.

"I will, if you promise to answer mine as well." He finally suggested.

"I promise." I replied almost instantly as my thin lip curved into a smirk.

"Then to answer your first question, am I a noble? I am not. I am merely a wondering sage in seek of knowledge." he answered candidly.

"What sort of sage? Surely if you are a scholar, then you belong to an institution of some sort." I delved further into the topic, curious of his history.

"A freelancer and lone wolf sort." He hastily supplied.

"So where are you from anyway? You are so…strange, no, that is not the right word…foreign; everything about you is foreign. From your rare ash-coloured, yet strangely charming hair to those foreign clothing you wore but they seemed to be made of silk and I can tell by the finely woven texture. Even your fighting style is out of this world compared to orthodox military styles. Finally, those blue blade-like flames. Were those even flames? If not, then maybe some kind of energy blade?" I list out every peculiarity about the man, so far, he has not tried to kill me or leave the room yet, a favourable sign for now.

"Very observant, I must say. Perhaps I should reward that with a detailed answer then. Where I hail from is not native to this continent," he took another sip on his tea and nibbled on a cheese tart before continuing "or should I say not of this world."

"Do you think that I am stupid enough to go unaware that you are mocking me?" I retorted at the derisive answer.

"Either you would believe those words or not does not matter to me. Nevertheless, what would I gain lying from you? I was summoned by you to serve you, am I mistaken?" He replied insipidly with a raised brow.

"Fine, continue on," I pouted before sighing in defeat. He does have a point.

"In my world, there is a continent very much alike Halkeginia; there are nations, similar to Tristain and its neighbours. The ruling structure is akin to one here, albeit not by mage or noble, but by shinobi; men and women who sought to protect their individual villages from harm's way. In addition, the most pronounced shinobi would lead others, acting as stewards and leaders for the Emperor of their respective nations, a Kage. However, there is a single man who hated all creation, whose wish only to enslave every single living being on the planet and rewrite history itself. The world was at the brink of war, mistress. One devised by a madman who wished to see nothing but destruction and despair." He elaborated his version of the world to me solemnly. War devised by a maniac? Had he lost someone precious then? I guess I should not pry further.

"I see. However, what is a 'shinobi'? I mean, are they some kind of mage too?" I asked with curious vigour. My 'oh so perfect master and noble' demeanour was useless against him anyway so I just went away with etiquette and manners and went straight for an answer.

Kabuto paused in mid sentence, probably thinking of making an analogue example to base off. He gazed into the swirling torrent of his tea before taking off his ridiculously large circular glasses and putting them down on the table, showing off those golden enchanting serpentine eyes.

"If you imagine a fat and bossy noble with an ego the size of his treasury, then it totally the opposite but they are essentially similar."

I raised a brow at the casual caustic comment towards my countrymen but refrained from chastising him in favour of learning more of these 'shinobi'. "Elaborate 'similar'." I replied hastily, unable to resist my own inquisitive nature over the subject.

"Nobles or mages in particular are individuals who cast 'magic' by channelling chakra into their magic stick, molding them into an element affinity before finally conjuring a magical, usually elemental effect. Am I mistaken?" He asked dryly as he took a large gulp of his tea, emptying them in mere seconds before asking for seconds. I gave his a sour look but complied anyway as I poured the sweet aroma tea into his teacup's to the brim.

"I am not familiar of an energy called 'chakra'; however we do channel our willpower through our wands, not magic sticks but wands to manifest elemental or non-elemental effects. I am unsure of this 'molding' term however we are required to pronounce its incantation beforehand and activate through the movement of the wands themselves but that is the gist of it." I confirmed him of our magical theories.

"Incantations? Movement? Do care to elaborate further." He asked

"It is…complicated. However, an incantation is like a prayer where we, the mages will use it as a trance to enforce a magical effect unto the physical world. The movement of the wand is basically like an activation key phrase, without them, the casting of magic would not begin," I gave details as concise as I possibly could which had gained an approval nod from the man.

"So the data I have collected during the battle with Guiche and Montmorency seemed consistent with your accounts. I assumed that it is impossible to cast magic without incantations or wands?" he inquired inquisitively. I replied with a quick nod.

"Yes, but that only refers to human beings. Elves are the only known practitioners of wandless magic which is made possible through Firstborn Magic, akin to sorcery." I added.

"Sorcery? What is the different between magic and sorcery? I thought both apply to the same thing." He questioned sceptically.

"Yes, that is true. However, while our magic enforces the manifestation of magical effect through willpower, the Firstborn magic is mostly unknown mechanics wise. There are rumours that they make contracts with the spirits of nature, affecting the law of nature indirectly through their contracted spirits; bending them to their will. Sorcery is a term used for foreign magic that are unknown to man and are usually referred to magic wielded by intelligent creatures with powers beyond any single square mage." I clinically added.

"How strong would you gauge their combat capabilities?" He asked in returned, obviously interested with the topic.

"Imagine a single elf who wields the very nature itself. While the strongest square earth mage could move and reform an entire boulder the size of mansions, the elves firstborn magic could easily conjure a massive avalanche of earth, rock and mud. Not only that, the Firstborn magic said to be capable of manipulation entire mountains, a feat impossible without a dozen similarly powerful earth mage working together in sync. Their need for wands is no longer valid and incantation reduced to mere thought and limited to imagination." I spoke with sheer dread of those damnable creatures. I felt a chill down my spine as I imagined a few elite elves against the entire royal forces of Tristain, the latter annihilated and reduced to ash in mere seconds. I shook my head as to clear my mind from the dreaded scene and focus back to my familiar.

"Hmm, I see. It seemed our topic had derailed quite considerably. Your question earlier was what similarities a mage and shinobi have, right? Well firstly, a shinobi does not use a wand or an incantation. We can however use chakra, a representation of both physical and mental energy found in every living things, and mold these energies into an elemental effect such as breathing fireballs or spit water bullets from their mouth which is known as ninjutsu. Other effects include empowering oneself with such element to boost physical prowess or increase the body's endurance. Another application of chakra would be imbuing weapons with chakra with certain elemental effects to give it the elemental unique traits. However, unlike mages, a shinobi main attributes are melee combat and a repertoire of deadly weapons, an array of ninjutsu, poisons and explosives. A shinobi will use any trick, every dirty technique and whatever he has in order to fulfill his mission." He paused to take another sip of his tea. "They are more uses for chakra but that could warrant a lecture so enough of that for now. The main different between both our system is that while your magic are hereditary, the utilization of chakra is not restricted to a shinobi alone. The usage of chakra is based on techniques, skill and knowledge. One only required possessing sufficient chakra reserves and the basic knowledge and skill of chakra manipulation to pull off a ninjutsu" He ended aphetically.

My mouth was wide open upon hearing the revelation. How could such a magic system, the gift of God, exist? How one only required possessing sufficient reserves and the basic knowledge and skill to pull off magic? Not only could they employ magic, but also to use them without the need to use a wand or recite an incantation already borders on blasphemy, heretic even. To add salt to the injury, these shinobi could somehow imbue their magic unto their own bodies. There is no known method to apply magic to such a degree safely, unless one rather gets burn or worst by their own magic; however, the awarded effects are truly novel and held great prospects for combatant mages. However, I push aside the thought and pursue another topic instead.

He was pensive once more, his erudite expression told much of his thoughts. Now would be the best time to beg the question what those reptiles were. Some type of spin-off of a familiar perhaps - maybe a tamed reptile kindred of sort?

"Hey Kabuto, what were those snakes that you used during the duel earlier?" I asked him with mild curiosity, sounding every bit obsequious as not to anger him with such a personal question. I still very much wanted to keep my head between my shoulders but if I do not ask him now, then I have a feeling that I would have to wait a long time before he willingly tells me about it. He quirked his brows at the outspoken inquiry but nodded still.

"It is a long story, and probably too much for you to take it all at once, mistress." He responded solemnly.

"Try me." I blurted out, obviously felt challenged by that statement.

"Perhaps at another time mistress," He proposed, his tone grew grimed so I withheld from pushing further.

"Then what about those blue flames?" I recalled from the earlier duel. I deducted it as some kind of fire elemental magic but the nature of its manifestation does not live up to any of the magical theories on wielding fire element. Two things did not match up. Firstly were the colours of those blades. I have never seen a flame's hue so vividly blue when I have first witnessed it; I nearly had not believe my own two eyes. Secondly, even the greatest mage cannot and would not risk on setting even diluted magic unto their bodies, what more to say over setting flame upon your very hands and use them as daggers.

"You meant my chakra dissection blades? Truth be told, it is actually a chakra infused non-elemental technique; a pseudo-scalpel energy blade usually meant for use during major and micro surgery, capable of dissecting nerves, tendons and muscle with capable ease." He supplied absently. There he goes again, throwing around foreign terms that meant nothing to me.

"Sue-dough scare-peel? My-crow Sir Jury? What? Argh, never mind. But if you could use 'chakra', then you are a…shi…nobi…" I hiccupped nervously as I linked the dots together. A magic user. I shook my head to clear any distraught and put the mouth of my teacup to take a sip before I realized that my ceramic tea-holder was non-existent.

"Looking for this?" Kabuto asked whimsically as he casually swivel the empty teacup around his index finger. Precariously hanging off the end of his finger, he offered the teacup with a gleeful expression.

"What was that for?! Do you know how much that could cost me if it breaks?!" I chastised him, hoping to avoid any future accidental fees.

"Owh, and you would prefer that it was you who had broken it then?" He retorted with a didactic tone, "I caught it when I noticed you have dropped it when you finally realized that I was a shinobi." He continued as I noticed his grin grew wider. I realized my blunder and shrunk further, ashamed of being caught with such un-lady like manners.

"K-Kabuto…umm…could you…COULD YOU TEACH ME YOUR MAGIC!" I blurted out effusively, unable to restraint my desire to learn magic even if it is heresy. No one has to know, and no one ever will, except maybe Cattleya. I had been useless in terms of magic.

Father seemed to be mildly worried about it however, Mother had fittings, according to Father; she could not tolerate it and had went to great lengths to have it corrected. From Mother's personal tutoring to some of the best private tutors in the world, which in the end had not brought forth any fructuous result, she finally used her wide influence to pulled some silver strings to have me attend at one of the grandest and most prestige magic academy in all of Halkeginia. Meanwhile, Sister Eleanore has been studying rigorously before finally, she was proposed to work at the world renowned Oriz Magic Academy of Research and Development Institution, encasing herself with magnitudes of studies and research while hardly sent any letters about her own condition. Sister Cattleya on the other hand was mostly bedridden due to her terminal illness, and thus she was forbade from casting magic due to her weakened and feeble state. I wanted to help them both, but felt useless, as I was unable to do anything to ease their burdens. To have worried Father and Mother to infuriating Sister Eleanore due to my disability and feeling helpless towards dear Sister Cattleya. He raised his brow, obviously taken slightly aback by my request.

"**THUD!"**

"Whose there?!" I demanded vehemently. Kabuto seemed somewhat amused all of a sudden before grinning into a contemplative look.

"Please, come in Siesta." He invited the eavesdropper jovially before he continued, "So, what do you think Siesta? Should I even consider her request?" He asked all of a sudden. Then, as if she was summoned, the maid who had offered breakfast this morning had entered the room as she emerged through the door; her face flushed with slight crimson, evidently abashed of getting caught eavesdropping.

"Uh, I don't know Sir Kabuto. I believe it is not within my authority to deem an answer for Lady Valliere." She responded in a diffident tone. Kabuto's seemed to wore a scornful expression right after she said it, but I simply kept quiet.

"H-How much h-has you been l-listening to our c-conversation. H-How dare you! A mere common servant like you would dare to have violated upon a noble's privacy!" I blurted out; frightened to know someone has been eavesdropping on our conversation.

"She has been listening to our entire conversation, from the very beginning, right Siesta?" He asked rather rhetorically, seemingly enthused to see the maid in distress. The maid just shrunk smaller than she already is, mimicking that of a kicked puppy before it was shooed away like some pest and left to starve. "So how would the third daughter of the Duke of Valliere wished to punish such insubordination? Retire her of her employment and her sole source of income, letting her family and herself to starve in poverty?" He asked harshly with a tad of sardonic tone before he continued, "Or would you wish me to silent her…permanently?" He ended with a dark coarse tone.

"**CLANK!"**

My eyes widen at the ridiculous suggestion. The maid also seemed to understand the gravity of the situation as well, if the sound of the dropped metal tray was any indication. In short, Kabuto just suggested that I either fire the maid for misconduct or choose a more direct albeit severe penalty - death. The first was already harsh enough to request as punishment...but death? The maid quickly bowed for forgiveness, obsequiously begging to be spared her life.

"I can't do…that." I retorted rather meekly, utterly perplexed by Kabuto's sudden dark personality and figuring on how to handle the situation diplomatically. "It is…just…it is not fair for her. I'll pardon her; so long she keeps a tight lid on what she had heard here." I finally told him with definite resolve.

"Why should a lowly plebeian be treated with fairness, mistress? Do you nobles not abused your gifts to enslaved all plebeians, shoving a distorted version of equality, just and fairness into their dim-witted skull? Preaching how only nobles have the right to be trial fairly through a defence in court? How a portion of a noble's life is worth many more times than that of thousands of plebeians?" He demanded satirically as he nibbles on a butterscotch biscuit dipped in tea. "It is because of your rather unique condition, mistress? How a plebeian has been born into noble lineage? Is that why you sided with the maid now; because you are but the same?" He added bitterly.

"What?! NO! I mean, we are the same in term of human analogy…but it is…different…I am just…a late bloomer that all. Why are you doing this, Kabuto? I thought you swore to be my dutiful right-hand man, my extended sword and loyal guard and finally for the first time in my life, a trustworthy comrade and a close friend." I sunk unto my knees with tears forming at the very edge of my eyes; despondent with my utterly ill-fated life. "Was it all, simply a jest then? Like some grand ploy to humble me from my roots and heritage? When my pride was barely nothing more than a mask I wore to keep myself from harm's way?" I cried out solemnly. "I was never loved by a mother. I hardly understood the warmth of a father. My elder sister scorns me as if my existent was an accident. In addition, my beloved middle sister who was the only one who had actually showed love, kindness and warmth to me suffers from a terminal illness, one that pains me to remember." I morosely added to the growing list of frustrations.

"If that is your respond, then I have no choice but to acknowledge your request, my dear poor mistress." He replied with an earnest tone.

"Leave then, don't you…wait…WHAT?!" I spurted out in disbelieved. I was utterly confounded at first; I could barely able to register his words before it finally hits me; he will acknowledge my request. Does that mean that he will tutor me of his home world's arcane arts? If so, would I be able to exercise them in practical as any mage could use magic then? However, my train of thought ceased when I realized how much I have considered his tales. When did I ever began to believe that he actually came from a different world? His tales were certainly detailed, unique and extensive, and his foreign appearance does up-hold his accounts but when have I became so gullibly trustworthy of others?

"However, I do have three conditions." He spoke with reverent all of a sudden but I simply nodded in approval. "Firstly, during lessons, you are expected to pay me with respect appropriate towards your tutor; in turn, I will do likewise. Secondly, we will both share our knowledge and techniques on our respective ninjut…I meant, magic system. Think of it as payment for tutoring you. Third and finally, Siesta will accompany you on your lessons as well." He ended with a grin as he pointed at the maid. The maid flinched when she heard of accompanying both me and Kabuto, acting as our personal handmaiden but she seemed resigned to argue. I twitched slightly, feeling slightly indignant with the conditions but sighed in defeat.

"Fine, I will hire Siesta to be our temporary handmaiden for the whole span of our lessons; I thought she might be able to prepare lunch and snacks anyway." I replied dejectedly.

"Handmaiden? Oh no, Siesta will not be serving as our personal maid while she is with us, mistress. Rather more than that, she will be my second disciple and your soon-to-be rival." He replied with some mirth to his tone.

I wonder if there was any fly that had flew into my mouth considering how long I gaped at my familiar, processing each word he had just proclaimed. I turned my gaze towards the maid who was probably in a similarly perplexed thought as I did. A plebeian, who is also a maid, working in the most prestige academy of magic, wielding magic? Sounds like some work of fiction like the novels that Sister Cattleya used to read in her spare time. Then again, the idea of a mage tutored in the arcane arts by the mage's own familiar sounds fictional even more so than the former. Without hesitation, I gave him another nod of approval, gaining a sincere smile from the maid herself, seemingly grateful of the proposal. Had she already forgotten what Kabuto had just suggested earlier, I wonder?

* * *

***End of Chapter***

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**A/N: Okay, I apologize for the really, really...really late update. I was heavily preoccupied with my research thesis and it literally sapped me dry of the little spare time I have left. This chapter was the collective result upon an hour or two of writing, editing and rewriting almost everyday for the past two months, and No, I'm not abandoning this story and I had never plan to.**

Feel free to give constructive critics, comments and advises. I'm still fairly new and inexperience so bear with me and I will do like-wise.

**Anyway, thz for reading.**


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